30th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Which Commandment...)

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus’ answers to such questions are seldom as simple as we might want, but they always give us something important to consider. In this case, he prompts us to consider the principal purpose of the Commandments: to facilitate love.

For all the ways the purpose of the Commandments had gotten lost in the mix, Jesus simply wanted to give us a starting point to enter into the fullness of what the 10 Commandments were meant to facilitate—love. He answered the scholar of the law’s question by telling him that if you do these two things well and authentically—love God and love neighbor—you will fulfil the commandments. As St. Augustine once said, “Love and do what you will.”

I found myself wondering: What if Jesus’ response to the question about which is the greatest commandment was instead: “Which commandment do you find it hardest to live by? For you, now, that is the greatest”. So, what about you? Which commandment challenges you most?

Is it the 1st: You shall not have strange gods before Me? Do you give other things and even people disproportionate space in your life? As you’ve heard me quote before, “If there’s something or someone that you believe is necessary for you to be happy, you’ve made it/him/her into a god.” Ask yourself, in the course of a week, how much time does God get from you, compared to your use of social media, watching TV, or even exercise?

Is it the 2nd: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain? Instead of saying God’s name, not actually speaking about Him or to Him, do you use His name in your casual expressions? Or do you struggle using words that are unbecoming of your Christian dignity?

Is it the 3rd: Remember that you keep holy the Sabbath Day? God created in six days and reserved the seventh as a day to simply marvel in what He had made. His desire for us was to have six days in which to go about tasks and to do all the things the world tells us we need to do, but to leave the seventh day—the day of Jesus’ Resurrection—to marvel with and in Him and all that He made. Is Sunday’s meaning lost on you?

Is it the 4th: Honor your father and your mother? I like to extend that to honor of family in general. Do you create or perpetuate tensions in your family? What have you done to strengthen your marriage or show the love of Christ to your spouse? But also, what is the religious example you set in your home?

Is it the 5th: You shall not kill? It’s likely not manifested in actually ending the life of another, but instead in the ways we kill someone’s reputation by how we speak unfairly of them, our cheap shots and gossip. Maybe it’s manifest in the anger and hatred of others that we willfully harbor: an attitude of the heart that kills.

Is it the 6th: You shall not commit adultery? There’s no question that the proliferation of things that come at us by virtue of technology make difficult to remain chaste in our minds and bodies. The infiltration of adult content captivates distorts our view of ourselves and of others, as we act out in ways that are shallow, self-focused, and demeaning. It does great harm to marriages. And for all the ways our culture tells us If it feels good, do it, the fact that we operate in secrecy in this area, makes it clear that our conscience knows better.

Is it the 7th or 8th: You shall not steal….You shall not bear false witness? Do you justify cheating or cutting corners, not fulfilling commitments, sneakily taking advantage of others or your situations? Or do you struggle with speaking truth, bending it to suit your needs?

Is it the 9th or 10th: You shall not covet your neighbor's wife and/or goods? Do you struggle to be content with who you are, with your God-given gifts and attributes, with the people in your life and your possessions? Do you find yourself preoccupied instead with what others have, with their lives? This envious preoccupation suffocates our ability to recognize our blessings and our causes for gratitude.

What’s the greatest commandment? Loving God and loving neighbor for sure. But Jesus may well tell us that the commandment we most need to embrace is the one that we are currently struggling with. Seek his help and work at it. Bring it to him in confession with at least the desire and intention to lay it at his feet. Let his beautiful mercy be your strength and your path to true freedom. It’s in that, that we come to more fully love, both God and neighbor.