The Two Great Commandments

"Master,” asked a lawyer, “which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with allthy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

With this response, Jesus answered the lawyer’s question. However, instead of ending the conversation here, He used this opportunity for a great teaching moment. He added, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

I have been pondering on this lately. We know the Savior is the Master Teacher. I have studied His words all my life and I still learn new things. I have learned to look deeper at what the Savior teaches. As I have been pondering this passage, I discovered a possible purpose for the Savior to give not only the answer to the original question, but to also supply a follow-up teaching.

For some reason, we seem to have established a false dichotomy in our society, where the belief has been created that you cannot live both laws. This is FALSE. Love for God does not equate hatred for fellowmen. John, one of the Savior’s closest apostles taught, “If a man say, I love God, and he hateth his brother, he is a liar.”

Last week the world learned about a horrific shooting that targeted gays, murdering and injuring over 100 of them. In response to this awful tragedy, some have stated the shooter was sent by God and it fulfilled God’s will. I am sickened by this response. The God I know would NEVER desire this.

Come with me to the Old Testament, to the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 18 we read, “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways and live? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 18:23, 32, emphasis added).

Let’s go back to my original point. The first great commandment is to love God. Jesus taught his disciples, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Therefore, we show our love for God by keeping his commandments. We do not approve of sin, nor do we support it.

But how do we reject sin and still keep the second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves? I think the Savior answered this question Himself when He was asked the question, “Who is my neighbor?” He proceeded to tell the story of the Good Samaritan.

To quickly recap the story, a Jew goes down to Jericho and is attacked by thieves who leave him for dead. After being passed by a priest and a Levite (interestingly enough, two people who were supposed to be in God’s service), a Samaritan stops to help him and administers to his every need. After giving this parable, the Savior did not bother answering who the neighbor is. He responded, as He so often did, with a question of His own: “Which of these was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” Rather than trying to determine who our neighbor is, it is more important to just BE a neighbor.

Let’s look at that story a little closer. Who were the Samaritans? They were a people who mixed with the gentiles. They were cut off from the Jews and seen as unfaithful, impure, and inferior.
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus chose the Samaritan to be the good guy in the story? Why didn’t he talk about a Samaritan who got beat up by robbers and there was an awesome Jew who came to the rescue? Could it be because Jesus wanted us to understand that we should not look down on others?

What if the parable were given for the first time today? What if instead of a Samaritan, the helper was a gay person. If two church-goers passed by the injured and then a gay person came to the rescue instead, what would the lesson be? Does that idea shock you? When the Savior used a Samaritan in his parable, it likely had the same shock effect. Is it possible there is something we can learn from these brothers and sisters? I have met many people in my life who have same-sex attraction and they are often among the most empathetic and caring people I have met. I enjoy their friendships and I care about them. They are human beings. My brothers and sisters. God’s children. And I love them without approving of homosexuality.

Last week, in the tragedy where over a hundred gay brothers and sisters were attacked, they became the victims in the parable. Now we have the opportunity to choose who we will be in the story. Will we choose to be the priest or Levite, leaving them to suffer, mocking them even, as we go about what we think to be the Lord’s business? Or will we choose to love our neighbor, recognizing that our brothers and sisters have been hurt and come to their aid? Will we comfort them? Cry with them? Love them? Will we choose to love God by following the example of His Son and loving our neighbor? Will we keep both of the great commandments?

I hope every Christian will answer YES! Only if we do this thing can we look forward to being at the right hand of God at the great and last day. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me… Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:31-40)

Did Jesus exclude anybody from his list? The answer is no. There are no clauses saying, “Except sinners, or people who believe this, or do that, etc.” It is plain and simple: anytime you serve ANYBODY, Jesus feels you are serving Him. So let us serve our brothers and sisters, no matter who they are, and no matter whether or not we agree with their choices or share the same beliefs. Each kind deed to any human being is a gift to God. May we bring Him many such gifts, because we love Him.

After all, that is the first and great commandment.