Have you ever asked yourself why the greatest of the commandments is to “love the Lord, your God”?

I know this is something that I’ve never asked myself, and that’s only because I’ve not thought about it before. It wasn’t until I started to get this question from others that I really began to reflect on it, and I thank God for that, because it has helped me to come to a greater understanding of why we are called to love the Lord, our God, above other things.

To help understand this, I’d like to ask another question. What should you love more: a gift received or the one who gives the gift, the gift-bearer? If you chose gift-bearer, you’re correct!

If you’ve ever given a gift to another person, you typically try to find something that they can use, something to bring them joy and happiness. Sometimes that gift might not seem so significant, while other times it is. Regardless of the gift’s “worth,” it’s all the more special because it is from you, the gift-bearer. That is the hope a gift-bearer has: not only that the gift would be appreciated, but also that the person would love you more for it. Without the gift-bearer, there would be no gift.

The same can then be said of “loving the Lord, our God” as the greatest of all commandments. Because if we truly believe and understand that God is who he says he is, and that without him nothing would exist, then it should follow that all the blessings we have in our lives are gifts from him, including our family and friends!

But if we’re called to love God above all things, does this lessen our love for our family and friends? Not at all. Continuing with the image of gift giving, as the gift-bearer, your hope is that the gift you have given will be cared for and used as intended, and not abused nor set to the side in neglect. That will give you, the gift-bearer, the most joy.

Thus, our Lord’s continued response about the greatest of the commandments: “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

If our Lord, in his great love for us, has provided us with the great gift of family and friends, then to make sure we acknowledge that we have received this gift from him, it is our duty to care for and love this gift, as we would desire to be cared for and loved. This is how we show our appreciation to him, by loving him above all things and by caring for the gifts he has given to us.

This should help us understand why the Ten Commandments were put in a specific order when they were first given to Moses on the stone tablets, and then the reason why Jesus responds to the scholar of the law in that same way. It’s a beautiful reminder to us to prioritize our love and thanksgiving: to God first, the ultimate Gift-Bearer; then to each other, the gift we have received from him.

There is no contradiction to the commandments as Jesus has shown us in his “Cliff Notes” of the Ten Commandments. Let us love the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, soul and mind, for he has blessed us with great gifts in our lives. Let us remember to also take care of this gift, by truly caring for and loving each other, especially during conflict. Thank you, Jesus!

Father Ly is pastor of Presentation in Maplewood.

Sunday, Oct. 25
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time