You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Following the teachings of the Bible isn’t for sissies.
Much of the time it seems pretty cut and dried, even when it
isn’t. Honor thy mother and they father? Right. Until there’s a disagreement on
your clothes, your friends, or the cleanliness of your room. Thou shalt not kill? Of
course not. But what happens when world events sound the trumpet of war and the cause
seems just?
Discussions about what God expects of us are nothing new. Even in
Jesus’ time there were disagreements about that. Consider the number of times
Jesus’ enemies tried to catch him contradicting the law of God. In today’s text,
the Pharisees ask Jesus, "What is God’s greatest commandment?" Jesus
answers that we are to love God with all our heart and soul. But he doesn’t stop
there. He goes on to say the second greatest law is that we are to love our neighbors as
we love ourselves.
One would hope that, almost 2000 years later, mankind would be closer
to fulfilling that commandment than the Pharisees were. Alas, does anyone believe we are?
If it were as easy as feeling good will toward that elderly lady who smiled at you or
toward the child who offered his cookie, maybe there would be no problem.
But how do we love some of our neighbors in this increasingly small
world of 2002? The "neighbor" who committed mass murder in Oklahoma City? The
"neighbors" holding nuclear weapons at each other’s throats on the
India-Pakistan border? Even the "neighbor" named bin Laden, who gloats on
videotape about how his evil plans exceeded his wildest dreams?
Too tough? How about something simpler, like the "neighbors"
who spend their Sunday mornings holding up signs and bullhorns outside our church?
Don’t they test the commandment as well. And sometimes it’s just as hard to love
the neighbor next door with the loud dog.
Sometimes following the Bible is not easy. It is, however, what’s
expected of us – we who will inherit the rewards earned by the risen Christ. It may
be a hard road, but the destination is certainly worth the journey.
Dear God, the world today tries us, but please help us to
remember that we need to follow the great commandment cited by your Son. Help us to reach
beyond differences and difficulties and show love to one another. Amen.
