For the love of neighbor

Readings: Exodus 22:20-26; Ps 18:2-4.47.51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10; Matthew 22:34-40

This week's readings only require a short-take. I will provide mine in a numerical sequence:

First, probably the reason Jesus spent so much time talking to the Pharisees is that they were the Jews who were most like him. In other words, they encouraged their fellow Jews to practice their religion. Far from being bad thing, religion is a product of faith. It isn't very likely that all Pharisees were opposed to Jesus.

Second, what is at the root of most of Jesus' disputes with the Pharisees as set forth in the Gospels, bubbles to the surface in today's Gospel. What is this root? Mistaking means for ends. The Law is but a means to the end (singular) of loving God and neighbor. While I could go all Pauline on you, I will refrain, except to say that only Jesus fulfilled the Law in both letter and spirit.

Third, among Jewish teachers before, during, and after Jesus, the teaching handed on in this pericope isn't stunningly new. After all, it is right there in the Law! What eventually emerges in Jesus' teaching as something of a departure, but not in this passage, is his answer to the question "Who is my neighbor?" But, again, when one considers today's passage from Exodus, you can see this, too, isn't such a dramatic departure.

Fourth, "neighbor" is not an abstract concept. I think the Spanish word, closely related to our English word "vicinity," gets at this better. Vecino indicates clearly someone in close physical proximity to you. This is also true of the Greek word that transliterates as plésion, from the adverb plésios, meaning "near," "close to."

Therefore, as the Beatles sang, "All You Need Is Love." Add to this something Saint Augustine preached in what we have cataloged as Sermon 110: "Love God and do whatever you please." Not too surprisingly, the back end of this sentence is usually omitted: "for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved." For good measure we might throw in Chesterton's "Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair." This is probably enough to chew on.

While lovely in the abstract, this teaching is quite difficult to apply. You see, there are two big obstacles- me and other people. It's easy to love "humankind" or "humanity" (increasingly we seem to have no love for humanity, either our own or anyone else's). "Humankind" is an abstract category or, as in logic and mathematics, a set that includes all human beings.

To love everyone does not necessarily mean you love anyone in particular. To love no one in particular is the same not loving anyone. Many, far too many, who have claimed to love humanity have harmed and oppressed others out such "love."

I will end by going a bit Thomistic. Love is not a feeling. It's an act of your will. This means love is choice, not chance. Like all choices, the choice to love or not to love has consquences.