There are three accounts of this great commandment in the Gospels, each having its own characteristics. In Mk 12:28-24, a scribe comes to Jesus with good intentions, seeking to be enlightened, and reacts favorably to Jesus’ response. In Lk 10:25-28, the lawyer, not Jesus, states the commandment, and Jesus expands its meaning with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here in Matthew, the question is put to Jesus in bad faith as a test.

The two great commandments as Jesus gives them are from Dt 6:4-5 and Lv 19:18. The concluding verse (v 40) is found only in Matthew. "The law and the prophets" refers to the entire structure of Jewish faith and life (see also Mt 5:17; 7:12). Thus, these two commandments support the whole structure, which crumbles if either one is neglected. This is a pointed allusion to the Pharisees who preferred discussion of the finer points of the law to the basic obligation to love God and others.

If society is to maintain peace and justice, laws must often have a certain degree of harshness. Effective punishments are necessary to insure observance. Yet — and this is equally true of all legal systems — justice must be tempered with compassion. Included in all judgments must be an awareness of extenuating circumstances. A society without justice is chaotic, but a society without compassion is inhuman.

But law must go beyond the mere preservation of order in society. If true justice is to be done, lawmakers must have a special concern for the rights of those who are powerless and have no one else to speak for them. The rich and the powerful have the resources to take care of themselves; the poor and the unseen and oppressed do not. They have God’s special favor. Do they have ours as a Christian community?

This psalm praises God for his compassion shown in victory and deliverance. Response: "I love you, Lord, my strength."

The power by which the Church grows is not of human origins but the Holy Spirit. However, the pattern of growth is by imitation. Imitation of God is fundamental to both the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures (Lv 19:2; Mt 5:48; Lk 6:36). We can imitate one another, as well, insofar as we are signs of God to one another. Imitation of Jesus is basic to Christianity, but here Paul speaks of the Thessalonians imitating himself, and in turn becoming models for others.

This tells us the direction that the Christian mission of evangelization should take. The Gospel is not proclaimed by propaganda, coercion, or argumentation. Only when Christians live their faith singleheartedly and visibly will non-Christians be able to perceive something that has the power to touch the depths of their own spirit.

1. "I love mankind, it’s people I can’t stand," says Linus in an old "Peanuts" cartoon. What "hidden restrictions" do we put on our concept of neighbor, and how does this limit our love?

2. "It’s OK, as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody," is often used to justify things that are considered wrong. Could there be hidden hurts that this statement tries to cover up? Discuss what they might be.