The Greatest Commandment: Applying it to Our Lives

One of my favorite Scriptures from the New Testament comes from the Gospel of Mark. Here Jesus tells us about The Greatest Commandment.

This morning, I spent time with God through the reading of the daily Scriptures and a few different Lent devotional books.  Life in rural Mississippi means I do not have the same ready access to daily Mass and study groups like I have up in Alaska. Even if I did, a particular health crisis has led to the cancellation of all gatherings including daily Mass.

So, it is through quiet reading and reflection that I am wading my way through the desert of Lent on the journey to grow closer in relationship with Christ.

The Greatest Commandment in Scripture

Today’s Gospel is Mark 12: 28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”

Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Living Out the Greatest Commandment

Let me start by saying that while this may seem like an easy thing to do, it isn’t.

Challenges to Loving God as We Are Called to Do

Loving God and acknowleding that He alone is God can be challenging enough.

Daily life presents so many opportunities to forget this.

Great advancements in our modern day which are credited to man.

Scientists digging deeper and deeper into the mysteries of life on a quest to understand things that only God can.

Our culture here in the United States elevates the individual above the sense of community. The idea that each person has the capacity for greatness found for some through determination and hard work.

It becomes easier and easier to take the credit for all the blessings in our life rather than thanking God for providing the means. 

Worshipping false idols becomes easier as certain individual’s are given high esteem for things such as driving sales for movie and sports tickets. 

And those modern inventions meant to make life better soon take over our lives shoving aside the desire to be fully present with family and friends or even time with God. 

Those are all obstacles already in our our path. However, the next big hurdle isn’t the call to love God with our entire being. Nope, an even greater obstacles is the second half of Christ’s words: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Struggles to Loving Our Neighbor

I’ll admit up front that I know I fail to do this part of the Greatest Commandment completely. And, if I am honest about it, I would be surprised if many ever truly will.

Don’t get me wrong, I do my best to love all those around me. But, it can be hard.

It is far easier to love in the abstract (e.g. the people not actively present in our lives) than in the daily reality. 

I see this as coming from 2 distint reasons.

First, we have a tendency to being self-centered.

Secondly, people disappoint. Which cycles back to the first in that we start to believe that we can only rely upon ourselves.

Our Tendency Towards Selfishness

I’m sure this is all tied to the after effects of original sin.

Adam and Eve’s choice to break God’s one rule and seek to be like Him opened the way for sin in our lives. Some could say that their pride led to the decision to disobey God. 

I see the fall from pride as being an opening to a life of self-centerdness. Concern for yourself over concern for others.

Currently, I can see this playing out as residents of many countries are called to self-isolate. To pull ourselves apart from our normal lives. All in the hope that this isolation will spare the most vulnerable people around us from illness and death.

Yet, there are those who are ignoring the call to action.

Some refuse to alter their lives. Creating crowded situtaions (e.g. Florida beaches) or continuing to leave their house for non-essential needs.

Others have let their inner selfishness shine through greed. Buying up supplies (e.g. toilet paper) in quantities far greater than their own needs. Creating shortages which affect others unable to acquire the same.

The word many are applying to them is selfish.

That they care not how their actions affect other people. Not just their immediate circle, but society as a whole. 

Governments are having to step up and issue edicts to keep people home. Closing down places where people normally congregate in mass. 

Stores are having to enact limits on certain items. Basically rationing at the local level. And a few have put up signs that they will not accept returns of certain items that people overbought in their shopping frenzy.

Truly, this current health crisis is bringing out the worse in some people.

Yet, it is also showing hope and promise from others. People embracing time with their immediate family. Others sending messages of hope and love on the internet. 

Tying The Greatest Commandment to the Season of Lent

The season of Lent for 2020 may go down in history as being an unusally long Lent. We have been called to sacrifice in ways we had not planned.

This year and in future years, though, we can use the season of Lent to help us better live out the call to love God above all others and love our neighbor as ourself.

How?

Lenten sacrifices done in love.

Whatever sacrifice is chosen, we must do so with the acknowledgement that all we have comes from God. Our actions then become a response to His love. 

Through our response, we can grow in love for God and our neighbors.

Giving up my time through the addition of spiritual practices helps me to grow in relationship with God. This could be daily Mass, reading the Scriptures of the Day quietly at home, saying the Rosary, or making the Stations of the Cross. The end result of more time in God’s presence is an abundance of grace leading to increased love.

Almsgiving allows us to help the less fortunate. Instead of seeing it as an obligation, it should be seen as a privledge. That we have been blessed by God and can through our actions help another person.

Learning to Love God and Neighbor from Mother Teresa

Saint Teresa of Calcutta (referred to as Mother Teresa during her life) is a shining example of the call to love others. Through her actions, you can see how she strived to live out the Greatest Commandment as Jesus told us to do.

So many great quotes are attributed to her which reflect her love of God and love of neighbor.

More importantly, they remind us that we are called to do the same.

Quotes on Loving Our Neighbor

“A life not lived for others is not a life.”

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing.
It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.

When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her.
It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.

It is not enough for us to say: “I love God,”
but I also have to love my neighbor.
St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God
and you don’t love your neighbor.
How can you love God whom you do not see,
if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live?

You and I, we are the Church, no?
We have to share with our people.
Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing.
Jesus made it very clear.
Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.
Give a glass of water, you give it to me.
Receive a little child, you receive me.
Clear.

 

How are you living out The Greatest Commandment?
In what ways are you challenged to do so?

 

This post is being linked up to 40 Days of Seeking Him.

Join me and other Christian bloggers as we journey through the season of Lent.