Thirthieth Sunday in Ordinary time – Year A
WHOEVER LOVES MEETS GOD
Introduction
Solitude, silence, and asceticism are needed to create a climate conducive to contemplation, the ‘inner life,’ and an encounter with God. However, they will be signs of disorder if they distance us from people and lead to the neglect of those we live with. The contrast between love for people and the worship of God is founded on pagan myth, not derived from the Gospel.
A friend of humankind, Prometheus, had taught numeracy, letters, the art of domesticating animals, agriculture, navigation and metalwork. He ascended Olympus to steal fire from the gods and bring it to the people below. For this, Zeus had him chained to a rock in the Caucasus and ordered a vulture to eternally rend his flesh. This is how the lord of the gods poured out his grudge against the man who, having benefited people, had antagonized the gods.
Nothing is more contrary to the biblical message than Prometheus’ fate because any promotion and human growth realize God’s plan for humankind. “So let us love one another since he loved us first. If you say, ‘I love God’, while you hate your brother or sister, you are a liar. How can you love God whom you do not see if you do not love your brother or sister who you see? We have received from him this commandment: let those who love God also love their brothers and sisters” (1 Jn 4:19-21). With reason, from a biblical perspective, Prometheus has been called “a man after God’s own heart.” In fact, the Lord has taught his people “that a righteous person must love his human fellows” (Wis 12:19).
“Who does not love his brother whom he sees
cannot love God whom he does not see?”
First Reading: Exodus 22:20-26
In ancient times, there were no embassies to protect citizens residing abroad. Those who, because of war, natural disaster or work, or forced to abandon their land, their tribe or clan, often experienced oppression and injustice. To abuse foreigners, subject them to heavy and humiliating work, or reduce them to slavery was the usual practice in many nations. None of this was in vogue in Israel, where the law severely prohibited injustice against these helpless people. In the Old Testament, God often warns: “Do not oppress the stranger” (Ex 23:9). The passage mentioned in today’s reading also adds to the motivation: “Love the stranger then, because you yourselves were a stranger in the land of Egypt” (Deut 10:17-19).
The Israelites felt deeply united with foreigners because, over the centuries, they repeatedly had the dramatic experience of exile. Their profession of faith begins with a fact: “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there”(Deut 26:5).
The recommendation of the reading ‘not to wrong or oppress a stranger’ is the result of a complaint about discrimination arising from those belonging to a different race, ethnic group, or even different social group. Then it continues: “You shall not harm the widow or the orphan…” (vv. 21-23). Again, we are faced with unprotected persons: the wife without a husband and children without parents easily become victims of abuse. In their defense, God stands up as the “father of orphans and protector of widows” (Ps 68:6), who “protects the stranger, sustains the widow and the orphan” (Ps 146:9).
How do we take care of these people? First of all, giving his people provisions such as this: "When you harvest the wheat in your fields, if you drop a sheaf, do not return to pick it up, but let it be there for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. When you harvest your olives, do not go back to beat the trees another time, what is left shall be for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, do not return to look for what has been left. This will be the share of the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt" (Deut 24:19-21).
About this rule, the rabbis observed: all the other commandments were given by the Almighty because you knowingly observe them, but this is a precept that we fulfill unconsciously. Although the farmer may forget, the Lord feeds the stranger, the orphan and the widow. To abuse these helpless people is to provoke the wrath of God. Applying the principle of ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’ He promises to let the culprits die by the sword, making their wives widows and their children orphans (v. 23).
The choice of the sacred author to ascribe to the Lord the practice of the law of retaliation is extremely bold. The image, however, is effective: it serves to inculcate the idea that the God of Israel is not like the pagan gods, who rejoice at the aroma of incense and are placated by burnt offerings. He is the avenger (to be clear—it is just an image!) of the poor and the oppressed. “Oppression of the weak—the sages of Israel say—insults their creator” (Prov 14:31).
The reading continues with the prohibition of lending at interest (v. 24). The Hebrew word that we translate as ‘interest’ is néshek, which literally means bite. It is easy to understand why the Lord—who defends the cause of the afflicted and the rights of the poor (Ps 140:11)—repeatedly and harshly condemns any lending of money or goods for a fee. “If your brother becomes poor and is unable to support himself, help him. Help this stranger or this guest that he may live with you. Do not take interest from him, but fear your God so that your brother may live among you. Do not give him your silver at interest nor your food for gain. I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt” (Lev 25:35-38).
Finally, the last case is moving: The poor man who, in order not to starve, is forced to hand over his cloak in pledge (v. 25). It was a sleeveless cloak with rounded edges that was pulled over his head. The poor man carried it with him everywhere as his only covering. God states that, before evening, it is to be returned to him, without any conditions. Otherwise, he would have nothing to wrap himself with when he goes to bed. If deprived of his cloak during the night, the poor would groan because of the cold. I—says the Lord—would listen to his moan, would lend ear to his request for help and would intervene in his favor, for I am gracious.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10
The birth and development of the community of Thessalonica confirm that the power of God is present and operates through the preaching of the Gospel (1 Thes 1:5ab). Then Paul declares that his blameless life and that of Silas and Timothy gave an important testimony in favor of the authenticity of the Gospel message (v. 5c).
The Thessalonians became imitators of the three apostles and shared their courage and steadfastness in the face of attacks by the forces of evil. They also, in turn, became models for the churches in Macedonia and Achaia (vv. 6-7). At this point, Paul gets carried away with joy and enthusiasm, and in hyperbolic form, expresses his deep appreciation for the community of Thessalonica: “The faith you have in God has become news in so many places that we need say no more about it” (v. 8).
The last part of the passage (vv. 9-10) describes the conversion of Christians at Thessalonica. They were pagans who had rendered worship to inert and false idols. Now they have turned away from evil and have approached the one true God and Giver of life. Having chosen to follow Christ, they need not fear the future judgment that the Lord will pronounce on them. It will certainly be favorable, as it is now to the apostle.
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40
The rabbis of Jesus' time, in studying the Bible, had come to discover 613 commandments, 365 (such as days of the year) of which were prohibitions and 248 (like the limbs of the human body) were instructive, namely, works to be done. The women were required to observe only the prohibitive precepts. Poor ‘catechists!’ Explaining a commandment per day would take almost two years to teach them all. In the end, the ones learned earlier would certainly have been forgotten. If it was hard to learn them, imagine how complicated it was to observe them; to avoid sin was virtually impossible. The ordinary folks were not able to learn the subtle distinctions and endless moral casuistry and were despised by the scribes: “Only these cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law,” as referred to by Caiaphas (Jn 7:49).
Jesus considers this variety of rules a heavy yoke which oppresses and tires, takes the breath and the joy of living away (Mt 11:28). He warns the teachers of the law, “A curse is on you! You prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people” (Lk 11:46). One day, one of these scribes, perhaps a little affected, approaches Jesus in a hostile manner,and to tempt Him, he asks: “What is the great commandment in the law?” (v. 36). He means to say: all the 613 precepts are great and important and must be observed with the utmost care. They are a yoke, but “it is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth”(Lam 3:27). How dare, then, call them ‘unbearable burdens,’ perhaps you mean to cancel part of the law (Mt 5:17-20)?
Not all rabbis were so rigid. Many made a distinction between serious and light precepts. They also felt the need to make a summary to find one that would unify them. The text they referred to was the famous ‘Shema,’ which every Israelite recited every morning and evening. Jesus Himself quotes: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all might” (Deut 6:5).
Some put the love of neighbor in the first place. It is said that one day Hillel—a famous rabbi who lived a few years before Christ—was asked to teach the whole Torahwhile standing on one leg. Hillel replied: ‘What you do not like, don’t do to your neighbor! This is the whole Law; the rest is commentary.’ Philo, the Jewish philosopher and a man of letters, a contemporary of Jesus, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, felt that the whole law was summed up in the Ten Commandments and that this, in turn, could be summed up in love of God and neighbor. So, was there no novelty in the response of Jesus? Let us look at His words. The great commandment, the first, is the love of God that must involve three faculties: the heart, the soul and the mind.
God, first of all, is to be loved with ‘an undivided heart’ (with all the ‘heart’). Today we speak of believers and atheists, but this distinction would have made no sense in biblical times because atheists did not exist. The distinction was between ‘believers’ and ‘idolaters,’ among those who loved the living and true God and those who were entrusted to the dead and misleading gods. Today there are believers, people in the Church, who fulfill all religious practices, but at the same time worship their bank account, social position, honorary titles, career, power and ambitions. They have a ‘divided heart’ indeed; they do not love with all their heart, as Jesus calls for.
“With all your life” (soul). The believer is required to have the willingness to sacrifice everything (money, interest, emotional ties and rights) and even the courage to face martyrdom while not failing in their faith. As happens often, loving God and trusting him can lead to making choices and heroic sacrifices. In this case, it is not permissible to resort to subterfuge and misinformation. Compromising solutions cannot be accepted for their own sake nor suggested to others.
“With all your mind.” Even the rational aspect is part of the love of God. Emotions cannot be the object of a commandment. It may instead be the requirement to employ all the intellect in search of the Lord and of His will. Anyone interested in futility, who spends more time with frivolous argument, gossips about celebrities rather than studying the Word of God, ignores theological and moral issues of the day, does not investigate the basis of their faith, is less involved in the love of God.
So far, there is nothing new about the Jewish faith, if not for the fact (essential for a Christian) that the discovery of God’s face and His will comes through the Revelation from Christ and the love of God and is the fruit of the gift of His Spirit.
After having stated what the greatest commandment is, Jesus adds that this is also the first. He makes this specification to introduce the second, which is like the first: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 39), and here the more apparent novelties begin. The qualification of ‘similar’—homoia in Greek—means ‘equally large,’ ‘equally important.’ It is equal to giving the same value to people as to loving God. Only Jesus has placed the two commandments on the same level, giving both equal value.
In the response mentioned above of Hillel, we certainly felt the call addressed by Jesus to His disciples: “So, do to others what you would that others do to you; there you have the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7:12). We certainly noticed the difference: Jesus has positively turned (do …) the recommendation that Hillel negatively formulated (do not do …). The wisest reflections have inspired the Master among the rabbis to communicate the wholelight of his message.
Concerning the commandment of love of neighbor, He has also used the same procedure. He referred to a biblical text that the rabbis often quoted: “Do not seek revenge or nurture a grudge against one of your people but love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). He gave the precept a new perspective, a boundless dimension. For the Israelite, ‘neighbor’ meant the ‘children of his people.’ Jesus is for every person, even the enemy (Mt 5:43-48).
The concluding statement: “The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments” (v. 40) must therefore be interpreted with similar expressions used by the rabbis in mind. These two commandments are the point of reference for any rule. They should be taken as criteria for evaluating every precept. All laws are good if they are an expression of love. They should be rejected if they oppose it because they hinder the good of the people.
There remains one final point to clarify: the relationship between love of God and love of neighbor. We note that in the authors of the New Testament, there is a progressive tendency to unify the two commandments. Mark, the first of the Evangelists, speaks of the first and the second commandment. After him, Matthew takes up the same expression but adds: the second is similar, equal to the first. Luke does not mention a first and a second commandment but combines them into one (Lk 10:25-28). John records the words of Jesus who speaks of only one commandment: “Now I give you a new commandment: Love one another! Just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35).
Later, and throughout the rest of the New Testament, there is no emphasis on two commandments, but only on one, the love of people. “For the whole law—Paul reminds us—is summed up in this sentence: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14). Writing to the Romans, he recommends: “Do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only debt of one to another: Love. The one who loves his brother or his neighbor fulfilled the law. For the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet and whatever else are summarized in this one: You will love your neighbor as yourself. Love cannot do the neighbor any harm; so love fulfills the whole Law" (Rom 13:8-10).
We know what it means to love others, even though it is not always easy to determine how concrete this love can be made. But how do we love God? If we continue to keep the two commandments separate, we run the risk of putting God and the neighbor in competition with each other and thinking they contend for the human heart, its time thought and interest. In such a situation, what is given to one is removed from the other. Loving God means not subtracting anything from anyone to give it to God. The pagan gods created people to be served by them through their offerings, sacrifice and prostration. The God of Jesus has never asked anything for Himself. He puts Himself at the service of people, even to bending down to wash his feet and asking us to do the same: “If such has been the love of God—John says—we too must love one another” (1 Jn 4:11).
Loving this God means assimilating his feelings towards people; it means loving the orphan, the widow and the stranger, as God loves and protects them. Various rabbis had noted the connection between the two commandments. Someone, however, has also realized the reason why they support one another. It is a sublime reason we make our own: the love for people is still love turned towards God because it is directed towards His image (Gen 1:27).
READ: The religious authorities in Jesus’ time took turns trying to test and trap Jesus to dispose of him. This time, they ask him a religious question regarding the law that has political implications which they might use against him. But Jesus answered them with an equally valid principle, be it in the religious or civil sphere. The Law of Love is the foundation of divine and human laws.
REFLECT: Jesus sticks to the truth no matter what. It may offend the religious and civil authorities, but the truth can withstand any form of scrutiny. The more the opponents of Jesus waylay him with traps, the more he unmasks their hypocrisy by the truth that he brings. No wonder they had to kill him. In this world, the truth will always and forever be lonely.
PRAY: Love and justice should mark all our actions. Let us pray for wisdom and prudence to balance both.
ACT: A cowardly or indifferent life is hardly a life worth living. Today, let us decide to make a stand for the truth and act on it accordingly. Let us commit to stopping even the minor injustices that are done to others.
