I want a loving heart more than sacrifice, knowledge of my ways more than holocausts.
(An antiphon from The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman rite)
In chapter 11-12 of his Gospel, Matthew tells how Jesus is challenged in Jerusalem by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders (11:27). They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to ensnare him in his speech (12:13). Some Sadducees, also joined in (12:18) . . .
One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (12:28-34)
This scribe really understood the radical teaching of Jesus. The Judaism of that time gave great importance to Temple sacrifices of all kinds including burnt offerings.
For devout people, animal and vegetable sacrificial offerings in the Temple and rules about clean and unclean food were the most important of their religious observances.
Jesus, when asked which was the first of all the commandments of God, said there is nothing more important than love—love of God and love of neighbor.
The scribe who commended him clearly understood how startling Jesus’s response was—Jesus placed love ahead of all the other commandments, all the Temple sacrifices, and all the other religious observances and practices of his day.
Do we realize the radical nature of Jesus’s teaching? Do we understand the overriding importance of love in the scheme of things? Remember, at his last supper, Jesus made this his legacy commandment:
I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. (John 13:34)
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:9-14)
This is the highest priority for a follower of Jesus—more important than any other commandment, rule, custom, practice, religious devotion, preference, or teaching.
Better to miss Mass on Sunday than not love! Better to live together without marriage than not love! Better to be unorthodox than not love!
I want a loving heart more than sacrifice . . . more than holocausts.
11 September 2022