"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:37-39
People are fascinated with top 10 lists. David Letterman, the former late night tv host, was famous for his nightly top 10 lists. Today we pay great attention to the college football rankings. What are the top 5 greatest vacation destinations? What's the top-rated restaurant in the area? Everyone wants to know what is considered the best.
A "greatest" question is posed to our Lord in this weekend's Gospel from Saint Matthew. One of the Pharisees asks Him, "which commandment in the law is the greatest?" We remember that God gave Moses a top 10 list in the form of the Ten Commandments, yet here is Jesus being tested again on His opinion of which one is number one. Jesus deviates a bit from the 10 by saying, "You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment." He rephrased it differently than the traditional "you shall have no other gods." He goes on, "The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and prophets depend on these two commandments."
Jesus understands the human condition that we are often selfish creatures - putting our needs above those of others. Yet, here He is saying, love your neighbor and put his needs on the same level as your own.
You've heard the saying, "there is no greater love than to give one's life for one's friends." This is what we are called to do. This is the pure sacrificial love. But, you cannot attain that kind of love without loving God with all your mind, heart and soul.
God sacrificed His son for you and me out of His great love for us. But, do we have the courage to stand up for the neighbor who is weak, who is pushed aside by society, who is forgotten, who is persecuted, who is different than you or I? The foundation of our personal faith is based on these two commandments, to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Do you have a strong foundation of faith in your life? If you don't, find strength in the Lord.
Bishop Parkes
Did you know...
Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes is the fifth Bishop of St. Petersburg. Prior to his appointment to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Bishop Parkes served as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee from 2012-2016. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Orlando on June 26, 1999. Before answering the call to the priesthood, Bishop Parkes worked for several years in Tampa's banking industry.
