When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’  (Matthew 22:34-40)

There are a few interesting things about Jesus' dialogues with his opponents. The first is that it is a dialogue. Jesus does not refuse to talk with them, even when he is aware that they want to trap him. The second is that he never shouts down his opponents. The third is that when Jesus is confronted with a trap-question that requires a 'yes/no', or 'either/or', answer, his answer is 'both'. We could benefit from these more inclusive approaches in our own lives and certainly in the political and social life of our country.
 
This Sunday, in response to the question, “Which is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus brings the love of God and love of neighbour together in one ‘great commandment’. In refusing to be drawn into an ‘either/or’ response, Jesus, as he did last week, brings two different things into right relationship. Love of God and love of neighbour belong together as two parts of the same whole.
 
It means that true faith, as Jesus teaches it, is about being in loving relationship with God and other human beings.
 
The Kingdom of God is not some far off place, but the moments when God’s life breaks into the human story usually through the good, healing, loving words and actions of human beings. Those moments bring love, wisdom, grace, compassion, generosity, forgiveness and peace into our lives.
 
That is who we are called to be and what we are called to do.

Join us in celebrating at home this Sunday using the resources below.

Celebrating At Home for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time PDF             
Celebrating At Home for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time EPUB