“Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my father will love him and we will come to him.” Jn 14:23
The Jewish people were the first to know and worship one God;
they were the first to be given His plan for living, His statutes and
commandments. The Lord’s first and greatest commandment comes to us through the
Jews, the chosen people: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore,
you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.” Jesus reaffirms this as the greatest commandment
in today’s Gospel, summarizing the second great commandment, “You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.” The Lord does not command His people to worship him
with “burnt offerings and sacrifices,” but desires instead our complete love
and devotion, shown by obedience to His commandments.
This awesome God, the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator
of heaven and earth, invites us to become His adopted children, beloved and
protected, if only we open our hearts to love Him and obey His commandments,
all of which are given for our good. When we respond by keeping His word, Jesus
will come to us with the Father. What an amazing gift we are offered! God
Himself promises to abide in us and walk beside us, to help us to fulfill all
His intentions for us, and to guide us and protect us all the days of our
lives.
Yet, failing to recognize this gift, people may resist what
they may see as the restrictions of the commandments. But God’s commandments are
truly life-giving, and refusing to follow them will eventually lead to misery, spiritual
desolation, and the death of our souls.
We are offered this gift, and also given a free choice. Will
we choose life, obeying the commandments and devoting our hearts, minds, and
souls to loving God and one another, or will we rebel against Him and choose
death? Let us understand what is at stake and freely choose life, that we, like
the scribe in today’s Gospel, may hear the voice of the Lord saying, “You are
not far from the kingdom of heaven.”
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