Second Commandment First

Today’s gospel from Luke speaks of excesses flaunted in wealth while
the Old Testament reading from the Book of Amos speaks of excesses flaunted in lifestyle. Luke speaks to the suffering, the poor, and the discarded all represented by the poor man lying at the door of a rich man. Amos confronts those living with an excess of complacency in a time of concern for others. Luke and Amos have given us scriptural reminders that we are
to live our lives to see the face of God in those on the path of our lives.
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How do we do that? Jesus answered that question in Matthew’s gospel (Mt.22:34- 39) when a Pharisee asked him, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
In Luke’s gospel parable there is focus on the “rich man dressed in purple garments.” At that time purple dye was historically scarce and expensive which was associated with royalty and the riches of the finer-things in life.1 The rich man lived a life of wealth discarding attention to the poor as Lazarus laid at his door denying the second great commandment “to love your neighbor as yourself.”

Life offers many attractions to distract and even addict us to lead lives about ourselves away from the two great commandments. We often direct our lives selfishly to wealth, power, honor, pleasure, status, and even complacency leading us into a lack of self-awareness and concern for those to whom our gifts are to be offered and shared.

Today, we see wealth displayed in homes, social status, clothing, friends, cars, etc. and poverty witnessed in many poor neighborhoods and the homeless lying on sidewalks and streets. “Poverty” of another kind is seen in the decline in cultural behaviors, relationships with family, friends, strangers and even at times poverty in living the journey of our faith. Wealth, poverty and complacency have many obvious and also hidden faces.

I am not innocent in my selfishness with the blessings and gifts I have been given to share and at times I am also judgmental knowing some “neighbors” are more challenging to like than others. We are to look in the mirror inside ourselves to recognize the face of God is seen outside of ourselves each with our own unique personality and gifts to serve the Lord by serving others as best we can. 

There is a story I heard but is not confirmed about St. Augustine’s reply when asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He said, “First, love God with all your heart, your mind and your soul and the second, love your neighbor as yourself.” Then Augustine offered a final thought. He said, “It is easier to start with the second than to obey the first.” The second is right in front of us.

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Deacon Jack, Sharon and Maddie Redmond 

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