In Jesus’ day, there were two political camps within the church. You may have heard of them: the Pharisees vs. the Sadducees. Both had strong followings; both knew they were right and the other group was wrong. It was red state vs. blue state, first century style. And as the rebellion heats up, they want to cut down the leader of this new ideology being spread. The Sadducees and Pharisees agree on at least one thing: Jesus must be taken care of. We need to turn his supporters on each other. We need to trap him and get him to say something that will divide his followers. Both try, and fail. And then, as the sun is fading on “Stump Jesus Day” at the temple, the Pharisees take one last shot at Jesus.
A hot-shot lawyer speaks up. Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? You see, this lawyer knew that he had Jesus trapped. He was forced to choose from 613 laws: some were deemed moral laws, and others were deemed ritual laws. If he chose one type of law over another, he’d lose half of his support. But he had to choose: ritual law, or moral law?
Well, as he does time and time again in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus does not take the bait. He outplays, outwits, and outlasts these religious leaders. He says that there are not one, but two commandments that are equally the greatest. First, we must love God – ritual law. Second, we must love neighbor – moral law. The love commandments, as they are often called, are Jesus’ way of preaching a bipartisan message, one that satisfies everyone. But he does bend the rules, doesn’t he? After all, one of these things must be more important than the other.
But Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, does not cheat. In fact, what is often called the love commandments is actually but one commandment for Jesus. He yokes these two commandments together when he says the second one is like it. Here the words he uses mean that the second one is the same as the first, is equal to the first. Loving neighbor does not merely follow loving God, or turn out as the second best commandment. No, loving God and loving neighbor are one in the same commandment.
Why are these two commandments yoked together by Jesus? Why are they equal? How are they equal? Are they separate but equal? Does one take precedence over another based on the situation?
In bringing these two commandments together in this teaching moment, Jesus shows us that loving God and loving neighbor are intricately related to each other. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, knows that neither of these commandments are possible without the presence of the other. One cannot love God unless one loves their neighbor. And one cannot love their neighbor unless they love God. Loving God and loving neighbor are woven together so tight that it often is hard to distinguish one from the other. And it is impossible to have one without the other.
Retired United Methodist Bishop and a former professor of mine, Woodie White, once said, “Without personal holiness, there can be no social holiness. And without social holiness, there can be no personal holiness.” A profound statement by a very wise man – one of the wisest people I know. You see, Bishop White realizes that you can’t love God unless you love your neighbor. And you can’t love your neighbor unless you love God.
In order to love other people, we have to love God. Spending time in a relationship with God prepares us for loving others. It provides both purpose and foundation from which we can love our neighbors. It’s as if we are empty vessels. We love God by coming to worship on Sunday morning, by spending time in devotion and in prayer, by absorbing God’s love through all that is beautiful and true in the world, by experiencing a connection with the one who creates. We spend time loving God because it reminds us that God first loved us. Let me say that again: We spend time loving God because it reminds us that God first loved us. And when we remember this truth, we the empty vessels become filled with God’s love. We become so full that we can’t help but let love overflow with us. We can’t help but flow from our place of personal holiness – flow out into a world desperately in need of acts of love. My friends, this is why we must love God before we love other people – because we need God’s love of us to be the foundation and purpose for loving others. We need God to fill us up so that we can spread that love among our neighbors.
“Pastor,” you may ask, “how is this true? Aren’t there kind, loving people out there who have no relationship with God?” Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean that loving other people is wholly separate from loving God. In fact, when you love someone else, you love God. The very first chapter of Scripture teaches us that we humans are made in God’s image. And if we and our neighbors are made in God’s image – and we and our neighbors are – then to love our neighbor is to love God. By loving God’s creation, God’s beloved children – that is, our neighbors – we love God. We cannot help but love God when we love others. Loving others is intricately tied up with loving God. Without personal holiness, there is no social holiness.
Similarly, we cannot love God unless we love our neighbors. There’s a story of two monks traveling along a dirt road. As they came upon a large, muddy puddle stretching across the entire road, they met a woman there also traveling the road. She had stopped because she was trying to figure out a way to get across the puddle without getting her dress dirty. The two monks, as part of their religious order, were not permitted to touch women at all. It was a good rule, a rule that kept them from being tempted to be led astray from their vow of celibacy. Well, when they heard the woman’s dilemma, one of the monks picked the woman up, carried her across the puddle, dirtying his own robe, and set her down. She thanked him, and the two monks went on their way ahead of the woman.
After several hours of silence, the monk who had watched his companion break one of their sacred rules finally spoke. He said, “Brother, you know that we are not allowed to touch women. Why then did you carry that woman across the puddle back there?” He replied, “Brother, I saw a need and I met it. Back at the puddle I broke our rule of faith, but when I walked through the puddle, for the first time I truly knew what it meant to love as God loves.”
What people with puddles to cross have you encountered recently? What did you do in response? Did you hold fast to the notion that our love of God is not related to loving puddle people? Or did you let love rule the situation, finding that in loving another, you encountered God? You see, loving our neighbors, loving puddle people, is one of many ways that God provides for us to connect with God. Loving our neighbors allows us to connect with the God who breathes life into all people through the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Just as God created everyone in God’s image, so too God breathes life into all beings. When we make real, loving connections with our brothers and sisters of the world, we experience the breath of the Holy Spirit afresh and anew.
I’ve had several people tell me that they think they don’t have to join a church to be a Christian. And you know, to an extent, that’s true. But saying that you can be a Christian without joining a community of faith is like saying I can eat 3 meals a day without using anything but my microwave. Technically, I could eat TV dinners all the time – just nuke them in my microwave. Who needs an oven? But do I really want to give up my stove or oven in favor of a microwave-only lifestyle? By giving that up, I’m giving up things I really love to eat. I’m giving up scrambled eggs and pancakes on the stove. I’m giving up cookies and cakes from the oven. I’m giving up casseroles, stir fry, pasta, and chicken – not to mention giving up all the wonderful things I could cook on the grill! The point is, I could live on only one mode of cooking rather than the full arsenal of culinary tools. But it wouldn’t give me variety, and it would limit the types of things I eat. It wouldn’t be that enjoyable. And I suppose one could live on only one mode of connecting with God – personal prayer or devotions in the comfort of one’s own home. But being a Christian without spending time loving one’s neighbors is like making all your meals with only a microwave – limited in scope and variety, and not very enjoyable. Over time, the microwaved meals feel pretty unfulfilling, pretty empty inside. Without social holiness, there can be no personal holiness.
Personal and social holiness act in a cyclical manner. Love of God and love of neighbor act in a cyclical manner. When we draw into a deeper love with God, we become transformed into people who can’t help but spread love among our neighbors. And when we act out in love, we draw closer to the God who dwells in every living thing. As we draw closer in love to God, we then become equipped to love neighbor even more. And on it goes, these two commandments mutually supporting each other in an intricate relationship.
On this interplay hangs all the law and prophets, Jesus says. The lawyer wants to know which commandment, which rule, is most important to follow. And Jesus tells him that the value of love far exceeds and far surpasses any law that we try to follow. You see, sometimes we get so caught up in our rules and regulations that we forget the greatest commandment: Love God, and love one another. We know this, but it comes up so often in Scripture because we’re in constant need of reminding. Love God, love one another. This is more important than any other thing. Love God, love one another. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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