FROM THE PULPIT THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A BY FR. BENOIT MUKAMBA, CSSp.
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FROM THE PULPIT
THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 22: 20-26; Psalm 18: 2-4, 47, 51; 1Thessalonians 1: 5c-10; Matthew 22: 34-40.
REFLECTIONS: Love God and Neighbor.
Fr. Benoit Mukamba, CSSp.
The interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees with the Sadducees make me think of a series of boxing bouts where two archrivals keep on demanding a rematch at every end of a fight. One of the boxers doesn’t accept defeat but concedes a more defeat. Simply said, the leaders of the people of Israel wanted to get rid of Jesus; his presence and teaching unsettled them. They wanted him out of their lives.
The question about the first and greatest commandment of law was and still is a tricky test. It demands a deeper and broader comprehension of the entire Judeo-Christian teaching or law. For many centuries, the Jews debated on this issue of the most important commandment of the more-than six hundred laws they held. The lawyer from the Pharisee party didn’t expect Jesus to pass the test but Jesus proved his understanding of the Law with great ease. You must love God and neighbor. Both concepts didn’t impress the lawyer as Jesus took them from the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. But Jesus did what genius do, solving apparently complicated puzzles with great ease, simple and easy.
Firstly, Jesus shows that they aren’t two commandments but two sides of the same coin. Secondly, he argues that the whole Law hangs on love. Finally, love is inclusive of Jews and Gentiles. Hence, Jesus surprised the Pharisees who promoted hate against the Gentiles, especially the occupying Romans.
In our own days, we still wrestle with the same question of love for God and Neighbor. In every game, there is a difference between a professional and a fan. Professionals differ in their competitive capacities, while fans are uncompromisingly passionate attached to their champions. Professionals respect and love their opponents. Fans hate and can turn into uncalled for violence. Christians are called to be like professionals showing compassion towards fellow children of God.
Love for God and neighbor involves many dimensions of private and social life. Scripture teaches us that we shouldn’t think about our love for God because ours is a mere response to the Love God has for us. God loved us from eternity and brought us into being and sent his only son Jesus our savior. God continues to show his love in our daily living. When we discover God’s love for us, we become more respectful of the self, caring and truthful. In the process of responding lovingly to God, we are compelled to face the neighbor to whom we ought to direct our love and actions.
Love is life-giving, patient, kind, not jealous, not pompous, not inflated, not rude, not self-seeking, and not quick-tempered and does not brood over injury. Love, which is the foundation of the reign of God, is contagious. The reading from the book of Exodus explains the social dimensions of love: care for the aliens, showing kindness to the widows and orphans, lending without interests and doing justice to the most vulnerable.
Let us pray, beloved, that in all we do or say, we may not sin against love but rather make God’s love manifest to all.
