One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Commandment keeping is in the news again since certain states are requiring that the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament be posted in classrooms. I would like to write a book one day entitled the Ten Commandments of Jesus. (High on the list would be “Thou Shalt not Judge” (Matthew 7:1). Of course there is no need for such a book since Jesus succinctly summarizes his commandments by quoting from the Jewish scriptures: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Once you put love at the center of everything then the commandments follows. St. Augustine put it, “Once and for all, I give you this one short command: love, and do what you will.” Of course, as we go through life we find that loving is not all sunshine, rainbows and lollipops. Doestoevsky wrote: “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.” Parents quickly learn that loving their child requires giving them the discipline they will need in life. If you have had a family member who is addicted you know that the loving thing to do for them is often painful for you and for them. Even our most loving relationships frequently experience the giving and taking of wounds. Just read Dear Abby! The promised of Jesus, though, if we are willing to pay the price of loving we will be blessed with the greatest gifts that God can bestow upon us.
