Our Gospel this morning takes us into comfortable territory: the powerful commandments of loving God first, and of loving our neighbours as ourselves.
It feels good to consider love.
And, as we know, any time we consider love, we are considering God. For God is the source of all love.
But they questions asked of Jesus today suggest a different type of focus: the law.
Now when we discuss THE LAW we can almost see it in capital letters. THE LAW.
Our modern definition of law is a statute or ordinance; a clearly defined set of rules which creates precedence.
Laws pertain to legal matters, of course, but also in other areas… science benefits from constant, repeatable principles. For example: the Law of gravity: wherever we are, we're still being pulled down. This is good news.!
Sometimes we apply the concept of law colloquially: like Murphy's Law - what can go wrong will go wrong. It’s not accurate, but based on perception and expectation… and a little bit of fun.
We understand laws. We could name a few. And most of us, most of the time, adhere to those laws. It sets the cultural norm; the standard to which we hold ourselves.
Debates can ensue when we start to deviate slightly from the law – to use our own discretion over what’s written, or to search for loopholes to suit our needs. Like speeding… if we’re going 51 in a 50, that’s okay right? What about 55? 60? Who decides, and how? A bendable or inconsistent line in the practice or application of the laws makes for confusion.
Ah, the law.
Not always easy; and it never was.
Even in the context of our Gospel today, the Law could be a challenge.
Because sometimes the laws that were in place could disagree. They could overlap. The jurisdiction was blurry.
Roman law had different obligations than the law of Moses - so where do folks fit in to that? What laws are they to follow?
(Hence last week's question about the legality of paying taxes – it was a reasonable legal question.)
However: I’m going to invite us to look a bit deeper into the meaning of law as the Jews in this conversation would have understood it.
Law: meant the Torah.
The Torah – what we now know as the first 5 books of the Hebrew scriptures – this collection of writings meant instruction or teachings.
And while we recognise within them some pretty clear directives for community life, we also respect the intention of the title. Instruction. Teaching.
Which we undertake for the purpose of learning, and understanding.
So these teachings become guidelines that are meant to be adhered to, but not blindly. They are given to the community – as a whole – with the intention that folks would study them, discuss them, interpret them. To really delve into what the LAW actually was – and why it mattered to them.
And Jesus is asked – publicly – what the most important law is.
One law. (There’s 613 in the Torah, for reference).
My goodness, what a question!
And he’s asked this by a lawyer. One who studies and teaches the law.
My goodness, what a questioner! For this man is a Pharisee. Among a crowd of Pharisees. And we’re told that they are only gathered because they’ve heard that Jesus has stumped the Sadducees.
Okay – why is that important?
Sadducees were urban, wealthy men who made up the Jewish aristocracy. They intertwined religion and politics. They rejected oral tradition, and emphasised acceptance of only the written Law.
Contrast that with the Pharisees – who came from all economic classes. They were known for strict adherence to specific ideas and behaviours that stemmed from their interpretation of the ambiguities in the Torah.
Two groups that disagreed... one allows no wiggle room, the other dwells within ambiguity.
So. Go back to the first line:
"when the Pharisees had heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees"
We have one group hear that this popular Jesus has shut down the exclusionary tactics of the group of folks that they dislike and disagree with.... they think maybe he’s on *their* side. Or maybe he Could be!
So someone – one of the teachers – someone who spent time studying the Torah - asks him a question about the Torah.
Now, this man he could have been hoping for a fruitful and engaging debate about the law – not uncommon among people who love discussing their areas of focus. And Jesus clearly was comfortable engaging in this topic.
Or, he could have been asking to try and trip up Jesus – for to answer the question, you have to be knowledgeable of all 613. And Jesus was not known within the community as a lawyer.
I suspect that the question was intended so Jesus would affirm Their position – in direct contrast to those other guys.
Hmm: That's building a higher fence, not a longer table.
This was not intended to enhance community, but to increase division. To justify exclusion.
AND Jesus puts an end to that. Gently, but firmly – using the law that they have all studied.
Love God first: make God the priority.
And love your neighbour as yourself.
My goodness, what an answer!
Because this means loving the neighbour you don't want to love.
The neighbour you want to be wrong.
The neighbour you want to exclude, put down, etc.
The neighbour you would prefer was not a neighbour.
It’s a powerful way for Jesus to engage the debate: and to model for everyone a more holistic and healthy way of engaging.
To put acknowledge the differences, but to interact with one another with respect and dignity. To highlight similarities rather than differences. To find ways to work together for the common good within their shared community.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, after all, were both groups of Jewish scholars who worshiped God and served in the Temple.
It’s a powerful message for all ages: to go in to the world, having put God first.
To encounter the ‘other’ as equally loved by God.
To know that love is not about forcing your values on them, but about embracing others and meeting them where they are - and being met in return. To set ego aside, and listen with a desire to learn, to grow, to experience more opportunities to love.
To act in such a way that love is seen, and known: for in doing so, there can be community. There can be unity in diversity. There can be civil discourse even in disagreement. There can be genuine respect among the children of God.
And it’s good for us all to remember that there is not a person that God does not love.
So we’re called to love: love God, and love each other.
To live our lives in such a way that we intentionally seek out the presence of Christ in each other.
And to live in such a way that others can’t help but see the presence of Christ in us.
Love God as a priority.
Love your neighbour as much as you want to be loved.
And on these 2 commandments, Jesus assures us, hangs all the law and the prophets.
All of the teaching, all of the instruction: all of the traditions, all of the experiences:
They all depend on the lesson we hear today.
To love.
To be loved. To share love. To teach love.
What a powerful reminder of the privilege we have, in our faith journey, to dwell within the tradition of the ages: to act and live in love.
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