Christians commonly say that the great commandment is to love God and neighbor. While this is certainly true the text itself provides an interesting twist on how Jesus thougtht about the great commandment. “Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel!” Yes, following Jesus demands that we love but what makes loving possible is that first we have heard. We have heard that God loves us. We have heard that we are children of God. We have heard that we are precious in God’s sight. Loving God and neighbor is not so much an act of will on our part as it is a response to what God has done and is doing in us and for us.
