Friday of the Twentieth
Week in Ordinary Time
(Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 22:34-40)
Soon Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are going to be
tested. They will answer reporters’
questions meant to trip them up. Both
presidential candidates will try to appear unflappable. If they fail to appear in control, they will
lose the confidence of voters. Jesus
finds himself in a similar situation in today’s gospel.
The passage begins with the declaration that Jesus has
successfully countered the challenges of the Sadducees or priestly tribe. Now the Pharisees take a last shot at
him. A scholar among them asks Jesus to
name the greatest commandment. Will he
give the first commandment directing humans not to worships idols? Or might he dare to talk about love of enemy
as being all important? Jesus keeps his
priorities in line. First, humans are to
love God. Then their love of God is to overflow
in love for neighbor as much as one loves oneself. There is no more to be said. Jesus has successfully fended off the attack
of wits.
We should never deceive ourselves into thinking that one can
love one’s neighbor without loving God.
Sooner or later such a love will disintegrate because it lacks the font
of love which is God Himself. It would
be like trying to watering a garden without a connection to the water supply.
