Following what Jesus taught when he was asked about the greatest commandment, the Christian faith teaches us that we must do is love one another, even as we are to love God:
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any question (Mk. 12:28-34 RSV).
Love, not knowledge, is what we need to sustain our faith. Love never ends (cf. 1 Cor. 18:8-13). This is not to say knowledge is insignificant and to be ignored. If we love someone, we will desire to know all we can of our beloved. The more we learn, the more we will appreciate our beloved, for we will see and know more and more of those things which attract us to them. This is true, not only in our relationships with each other but also in our relationship with God. The love we have for God will motivate us to seek out God, to learn more and more about God and God’s greatness. The more we learn, the more we will realize how much we do not know, until at last, we will discern that God’s nature far transcends our comprehension.
There will always be something more for us to learn about God, something more to make us look to God in wonder and in doing so, find ourselves loving God that much more. The key is love, not knowledge, because if we rely upon knowledge, we will begin to limit ourselves to what we think we know, and so find ourselves standing apart from the truth by holding onto a simulacra we created to replace it. If we try to define God, if we try to define the faith based upon our limited knowledge we will hinder our relationship with God. If we try to force our definition upon others, treating it as an absolute instead of a conventional representation of the truth, we risk interfering in their relationship with God. Focusing on knowledge, focusing on what we can know, and making that the fullness of the Christian faith takes away the mystery which gives it its transcendental value. We will never comprehend God, and so we will never comprehend all the mysteries of the faith. That is a good thing, for it provides the wonder and amazement which we need for our love to continue to grow, to have a relationship with God which is always new and awe-inspiring. This is why Vladimir Solovyov, writing to Mikhail S. Soloviev, explained: “Speaking in general – love one another. Much is incomprehensible to us. There is no greater foolishness in this mixed-up world than to apply the wooden yardstick of your reason everywhere.” [1]
Sadly, so many Christians act as if Christianity is about what we know instead of the relationship we have with the God who is love. The way many like to test others as to what they know or do not know, often based upon intricate theological questions which are not easily answered, shows, far from grasping the intricate details of the Christian faith, they fail to realize its most basic elements. We should not go around looking for ways to prove ourselves better than others based upon what we think we know and they do not. St Jerome understood this. He saw the arrogance and pride in acting in such a way, as he pointed out the problem that so many, including himself, have by saying: “They regard themselves as learned and eloquent if they detract from all writers.”[2] The key is not to detract others, but to lift up, to find what is good and use that as the foundation for something better. Insulting someone for what they do not know will not likely make them care for what you have to share, but rather, it will put them on the defensive and in that regard, stop them from the kind of growth they could and should have. Yes, theological questions, and the doctrinal answers which flow from the are important, but Christianity is not a gnostic system which saves only those who can provides the answers to theological questions. Christianity is not a religion of tests, it is a religion centered upon love, the love God has for us, and the love which we are meant to have for God. It is that love, not knowledge, which unites us together and makes us one.
We should follow the example God has given us. Just as God loves us, and so works for our betterment and salvation in Christ, so we should work for and help others. God does not reject us, even when we sin. Instead, such sin, such unlove, has us turn our backs on God. God comes to us in the incarnation, and in this way, despite what sin has done, we find ourselves once again turned around and facing God. God does not abandon us, and so we should not abandon others. We need to do what we can to show them the care and love they need. This, more than fighting them in debates, is what will help them. If they are sick with sin, we must not use that as an excuse to abuse them, but rather, it means they need more of our care, as St. Isaac the Syrian said: “If you wish to heal the infirm, you know that the sick are in greater need of loving care than rebuke.”[3] This does not mean that those who sin might not face some consequences for their actions. Clearly, as every action has its own reaction, so sin will bring about all kinds of consequences in its wake. We should not take joy in the fact that they suffer, as we never are happy when we see a loved one suffers, though we can appreciate and support the necessity of justice as a way of purging the sin so that those who sinned can eventually cast it aside and be made better. What we should do, however, is show mercy and help them deal, even as we would help someone sick with a fever with medicine.
Love, then, is the greatest commandment. By loving others, by embracing them, instead of shaming them and casting them aside, we will be acting like God. When we see someone in need, we should help them the best we can. We must do so with humility and love. But we must also be open to what others have to offer us. This will reveal that we have a healthy, respective, indeed, loving relationship with them. And then, together, we can form better bonds of love, not just with each other, but with God, for we will be able to apply what we learned about love, and how to love, with our relationship with God, learning, that is, how to be open to God and all that God desires to share with us.
[1] Vladimir Soloviev, The Karamazov Correspondence. Letters of Vladimir S. Soloviev. Trans. and ed. Vladimir Wozniuk (Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2019), 253 [Letter to Mikhail S. Soloviev, undated].
[2] St. Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah in St Jerome: Commentary on Isaiah; Origen Homilies 1-9 on Isaiah. Trans. Thomas P. Scheck (New York: Paulist Press, 2015), 428.
[3] Saint Isaac the Syrian, The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian. Trans. Monks of the Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Rev. 2nd ed (Boston, MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 2011), 378 [Homily 51].
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