The scribe who questioned Jesus in today’s Gospel about which commandment is “the first of all” is very familiar to all of us. If Jesus asks us today what the greatest commandment is, we too can probably recite perfectly that the first is: “you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart…”; and second is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Yes, we know by heart the statement of faith, but are these words expressing our heart-cry to the Father? Can we remain in His love just by declaring our faith in Him?
What we lack isn’t knowledge but power to live it out.
The greatest act of faith requires the greatest act of love. Love God above all things. If God is first in our life, then all other things will fall in their proper place. If we have a great relationship with Christ, then we will have a great relationship with our family and friends, our spouses, our children and grandchildren. If we love Christ, then we will know how to love our neighbor, how truly to love one another, and how to love ourselves. If we have experienced God’s forgiveness, then we will know how to forgive those who have offended us. The First Commandment has to be first on our list, first in our hearts and minds, first in our life, first in our duties.
Does our love for other people stand in the way our love for God?
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