The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

Today is the next round of Jesus vs the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In last week’s round, they asked if they should pay taxes to the emperor when God is the one we should pay homage to. If Jesus would defy the Roman government, it would be a sure knockout for the Pharisees and the Sadducees. However, they lost that round when Jesus said to pay the emperor what is owed, and to give God what is God’s. 

In today’s round, the Pharisees believe they have the 1-2 punch to knock Jesus to His knees. Because, today, they are going to challenge him on the Law. They honored the law. And not only did they follow the Ten Commandments, but the Jewish people had 613 Jewish Laws that they lived by. If they could ask Jesus what the greatest of the laws and commandments was, He would have to choose one, making the other laws and commandments not so important. If He chose one to be the greatest, the others would be lesser. They had Him. Today, the Pharisees and the Sadducees would become the heavyweight champions! 

But they underestimate Jesus – again. And this time, it’s a TKO – a total knockout. He said to them, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” 

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5. This is one of the most important passages to the Jewish people – the Shema prayer. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The Shema prayer is still recited by Jewish people today. In Hebrew, “Shema” means letting sound waves into your ears. And, in Hebrew, hearing something and doing something means the same thing. It is about taking action. It means listening to the words, allowing them to sink in, understand, and respond to them. 

But Jesus does not stop there. He says, “This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” His response comes from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” 

Instead of picking and choosing which Commandment is the greatest, Jesus has summed up the entire Ten Commandments in two parts. The first through third Commandments pertain to no other gods, using God’s name in vain and keeping the sabbath – that is loving God. The other seven Commandments, honoring father and mother, telling us not to kill, steal, covet our neighbor, or lie – these all pertain to loving our neighbor. 

Bam…total TKO by Jesus. Because from that day, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees “didn’t dare to ask him any more questions” (Matthew 22:46). 

While it sounds like they were stopped in their tracks, we struggle with these words. What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves? These past two weeks, we have been overwhelmed with news of the turmoil in the Middle East and the unimaginable shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine. How and where does love fit in here? 

Jesus didn’t say to love God, and if you want to, please love your neighbor too. Jesus said, “The second is like it.” The second of these two greatest commandments is just like the first. Loving God and loving your neighbor are the same. I read a quote the other day. It said, “There is no love of God without love of neighbor. Love of neighbor is love of God.” Again, “There is no love of God without love of neighbor. Love of neighbor is love of God.”  

I don’t think God is asking us to love our neighbor with the same affection as we would love our spouse or child. To love our neighbor is not to have affection for them. Love is not a feeling. Love is an action. To love our neighbor is to imitate God by taking their needs seriously. 

I am participating in the EFM class (Education for Ministry). On Tuesday, we were going through the Creation Stories in Genesis. It’s in Chapter 3 where Adam and Eve are forbidden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. When they ate from the tree and realized what they had done, they hid from God. But God did not give up on them. God looked for them. God called to them, saying, “Where are you?” And while God did punish them, God didn’t give up on them. Genesis 3:21 says, “And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife and clothed them.” Even after their sin, God provided for them. 

Since the very beginning, God has loved no matter what. 

There is no love of God without love of neighbor. Love of neighbor is love of God. 

Here are some things to think about this week…Do you think it’s possible to love God and your neighbor without bias and prejudice? How might this commandment to love your neighbor help you navigate around your biases? In what ways does this passage challenge or encourage you to rethink your priorities and actions in your faith journey and daily life? 

Remember that Jesus does not just command us to love like God. Jesus loves like God. Shortly after this conversation with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus had a last supper with His disciples. Knowing He will be betrayed and denied by people sitting at that very table, He gives bread and wine to them. He washes their feet. 

Love of neighbor means we put others first. It means we sometimes sacrifice for others. It means that we are vulnerable and observant to the needs of those around us. Love of neighbor means we pray for others, respect others, and have compassion for others.  

There was a little girl who was spending the night at her friend’s house. The mother of the friend asked the little girl if she likes brussels sprouts. The little girl said, “Yes!” When it came time for dinner, they all gathered around the table. The bowls of food were being passed around. The little girl took the bowl of potatoes and put some on her plate. Then, she took the meat and put some on her plate. When it came time for the brussels sprouts, she politely passed the bowl on to the next person. The mother said, “I thought you said you like brussels sprouts.” To which the little girl replied, “I do, but not enough to eat them.” 

This is love of our neighbor. We don’t have to invite them to dinner, but we do have to care for them. There is no love of God without love of neighbor. Love of neighbor is love of God. 

Amen