We truly are all in "this" life on
this planet together although you would think, especially given some of the hard-charging
rhetoric, surprising murderous attacks and strong murderous reprisals, here and
around the world, that we can just stop interacting with others,
just take care of us, and ignore them. Of course, one
of the largest questions in this life today is eons old: a satisfactory
definition of who is us. This week in Matthew’s Gospel, we hear of
a lawyer asking Jesus which commandment is the greatest? In Luke’s parable of
the Good Samaritan, another lawyer asked Jesus, Who is my neighbor? [Luke
10:25-37] We of the human variety are determined to answer this
question
correctly, which really means, to suit our own needs and wants and keep
within the rules we, or those we choose to follow, have set
even when they can change on a whim. We build symbolic and genuine walls,
fences, and tall gates that are all designed to keep out the uninvited, the
unacceptable, the dangerous – in other words, those
people, that kind, the others, THEM. But here’s a
shocker, we each are the other, “them” to
someone else. We create and receive suspicion and fear when we step away from
what we think is our special sheltered space to enter another’s. Of course, we
must protect ourselves and others from those who are
truly dangerous and who would do anyone true harm. But all too often we
categorize someone as dangerous because of gender, color, race, language, sexual
orientation, make-up, hair styles, clothing, body art and piercings or lack of,
another neighborhood, region, or country, etc. It's much easier to have a big
chart of absolutes – that group BAD, this group GOOD – and that way we don't
have to engage, learn more about, slip into liking, and are able to avoid
knowing that skin, organs, blood, and bones are the same in all of
God's people.
It's difficult, uncomfortable, even distressing
at times, to sift through our own prejudices, judgments, dislikes, even hatred
of an unknown person or group. It takes time away from the easier activities of
going through life without having to think for myself simply because “I know my
group and we will avoid those outside of it because whomever we have chosen to
lead us will tell us how to think and what to do.” It also involves looking
into oneself – how do I really feel about me? Do I have trouble
loving myself? Is it truly self-satisfying to dismiss or diminish another – or
just an ego boost of a very false sense of superiority or, more likely, an
internal sense of inferiority?
Jesus, answering this lawyer in Matthew’s Gospel,
who is a Pharisee, gets directly to the point that all the
Commandments of God can be cleanly distilled into just two: 1. Love God
completely, 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. This concept is no surprise
to the Pharisaic lawyer. Earlier in Deuteronomy, Dt 6:4-5 specifically, is the
opening to the Shema (sheh-mah), which in Judaism is a part of
morning and evening prayer: Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God,
the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul and with all your might. Earlier still, in
Leviticus 19:18b, is …you shall love your neighbor as yourself. It
is Jesus, however, who combines the two as the greatest and first
commandment. And a second is like it… and surprises them with what we
now refer to as the summary of the Law when he says to those
who would trap him: On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets. If you think about it, if you truly love God and love your
neighbor as your self, you will honor and you won’t covet, steal, or break any
of the other commandments!
Yet the obvious questions remain as we search
for loopholes and escape from the hard work: Who is my neighbor? Answer:
Any/Every human you meet. OK, I have to “love” my neighbor, but do I
also have to like my neighbor? Answer: Not in a best friend sort of
way, but an attempt to get to know her, him, them, might surprise you, or might
not, yet we are still called to love, especially when it’s the hardest to do.
Loving another is often difficult because it isn’t based on reciprocation.
Putting a face on a label challenges one’s pre-conceived notions and what one
has been led to believe by group-think. Loving your neighbor is more about
acceptance and tolerance of differences and discovering similarities. Our instant
judgements are not easy to overcome. Loving our neighbor is to be in the same
way as we love our self. That’s often the hardest piece to understand. It’s far
too easy to see, yet not recognize, something in another that we dislike in
ourselves. That takes some serious personal soul-searching and be able to prayerfully
understand, and a find a way to like and then love ourselves as Jesus does. And
yes, there are some who are truly terrible and so our love must transcend likeability,
and when that is particularly difficult, ask ourselves, so, really, what
would Jesus do? Maybe in the most onerous of people, we ask Jesus to love
whom we simply cannot.
Jesus was saying to the lawyer in this week's
reading, and in the Good Samaritan parable, just following the
human-made-subject-to-change-rules isn't enough. We must be intentional in our
efforts. And yes, we will fail, often, but we must keep trying. If we keep
repeating to ourselves, as a mantra perhaps, Help me, Jesus, to Love
the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my
might, and to love my neighbor as [and] my self,
we are consciously and intentionally working to live and act within these two
commandments, we will discover not only a stronger faith in God but also that
on God’s Label: Them really are Us. Let’s all keep working on this, together.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader: ~ Gracious
Lord, our God, quicken our
desire to actively live our faith by consciously loving and serving You
with our whole hearts, souls, and minds with intention. Let us dare to follow
Your command to love all humankind as if they are
ourselves, as we are loved by You.
Lord of
Loving-Kindness
Response:
Prosper the of our
hearts and hands
~ Gracious Lord, our God, guide those of us who have a choice for
our political leaders, to responsibly choose as stewards of all humanity
and of this entire planet, those who will lead, legislate, and personally act
with sincerity and integrity. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
Lord
of Loving-Kindness
Prosper
the work of our hearts and hands
~ Gracious Lord, our God, embrace with Your tender care all who are
burdened with serious illness, addiction, or emotional distress, and refresh
all who provide support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in
need… add your own petitions
Lord
of Loving-Kindness
Prosper
the work of our hearts and hands
~ Gracious Lord, our God, receive in joy and splendor, all those we
commend with thanksgiving to live again in Christ’s enduring love. We pray
especially for… add your own petitions
Lord of
Loving-Kindness
Prosper the work
of our hearts and hands
~ Gracious Lord, our God, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Lord
of Loving-Kindness
Prosper
the work of our hearts and hands
~ Gracious
Lord, our
God, we praise You and we thank you for those who answered the calling,
anointing, and commitment to lead us in worship, in prayer, and companionship
on our constant pilgrimage toward eternal life. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Lord
of Loving-Kindness
Prosper
the work of our hearts and hands
The Celebrant adds: O God our
Refuge, grant us the humility to delight in Your Law, to seek the way of the
righteous in all that we do, and to be courageous in faith, sharing the Gospel
in, for, and by the strength of Your Love. We ask through Jesus, our Savior
Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom within; who together with You, live
and reign as One God, every day, always, and forever. Amen.
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