Matthew 22:34-40
When a Pharisee asked him what is the greatest of all commandments, Jesus quoted parts of the Old Testament: “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is the greatest and the first of all laws. The second, he said, is just like it: “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Remarkably, however, when Jesus spoke about love from his own mind, he declared: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). The nuance of this commandment of Jesus is quite significant.
We know how much Jesus has loved us. He humbled himself by becoming one like us, thereby raising our status and making us adopted children of God. He lived the life of an ordinary person so that he can minister the poor and the needy among us. He voluntarily gave his life to the service of all – by teaching the ignorant, feeding the hungry, consoling the afflicted, healing the sick and the possessed, forgiving sinners and finally, by dying on the cross – all these out of his great love for humanity. We call this kind of love “agape” - one that is freely given, unconditional, inclusive and endless.
Today, we are called to acquire the virtue of charity. Let us do our best to make our way of loving like that of Christ's. We must learn to forget our personal interests for the benefit of many others. Let us help the needy and the stranger without expecting something in return. And let us commit ourselves to continue loving and serving even when what is given back to us is misunderstanding. This is what Christian charity is all about.
