Sunday we will celebrate the baptism of Margaret Louise Collins, daughter of Louise and Neal Collins, granddaughter of Julie and John McClelland, and great-granddaughter of Peggy and Ponnie McClelland. This will be the final Sunday in October, a month during which we have considered the five questions concluding our Baptismal Covenant. The fifth and final question we will answer as we renew our baptismal promises is: "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?"
The final clause of this question goes directly to the heart of Christian living. It is the centerpiece of our gospel lesson this week and is woven through all of our lessons.
The reading from Matthew's gospel concludes a series of attempts to ensnare Jesus with trick questions meant to entrap him in his own words. A lawyer steps forward to test Jesus: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus goes directly to the basic affirmation of Jewish belief, the Shema ("Hear!") of Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "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." To which he adds the greatest of the commandments in the sense that it should be used to interpret the rest of the law, 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."
Matthew sees the love of the "golden rule" as the guide for all living and interpretation of other laws. This is Jesus' guiding principle. It is for us "The Greatest Commandment." Paul embodied this love in his care for the young church at Thessalonica, whom he cared for so deeply, "like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children." God demonstrates this love in the Deuteronomy account of the death of Moses, who died "at the Lord's command" and was buried, according to the Hebrew, by God himself. Moses was the only human being "whom the Lord knew face to face."
How well do you love? That might be the defining question of your Christian witness. Our worship on Sunday is the place we "fill up" on love for the week ahead. I hope that you will be there.
The final clause of this question goes directly to the heart of Christian living. It is the centerpiece of our gospel lesson this week and is woven through all of our lessons.
The reading from Matthew's gospel concludes a series of attempts to ensnare Jesus with trick questions meant to entrap him in his own words. A lawyer steps forward to test Jesus: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus goes directly to the basic affirmation of Jewish belief, the Shema ("Hear!") of Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "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." To which he adds the greatest of the commandments in the sense that it should be used to interpret the rest of the law, 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."
Matthew sees the love of the "golden rule" as the guide for all living and interpretation of other laws. This is Jesus' guiding principle. It is for us "The Greatest Commandment." Paul embodied this love in his care for the young church at Thessalonica, whom he cared for so deeply, "like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children." God demonstrates this love in the Deuteronomy account of the death of Moses, who died "at the Lord's command" and was buried, according to the Hebrew, by God himself. Moses was the only human being "whom the Lord knew face to face."
How well do you love? That might be the defining question of your Christian witness. Our worship on Sunday is the place we "fill up" on love for the week ahead. I hope that you will be there.
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