Is Loving God Enough?

~~~ Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

~~~ Deuteronomy 6:2-6 ~~~ Psalm 18 ~~~ Hebrews 7: 32-28 ~~~ Mark 12: 28b-34 ~~~

 

 "...love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength."

 

The Old Testament speaks of loving God alone

with all that you are and all that you have...

mind, body and soul.

Those who lived during that time were not encouraged to love

their neighbors or themselves.

 

They only had part of the great equation of love.

The commandment of love is more meaningful when you include

your neighbors and also yourself.

 

In a way loving God alone is a cop out.

If all you had to do was love God

you would not have to consider your actions toward others.

If you only had to love God

and not yourself you could miss the blessing of who

you were made to become.

 

Jesus came to complete the Old Testament laws...

loving God is essential but it is not all there is to loving.

 

Jesus modeled through out his public ministry

what it means to love your neighbor.

In his mission to server others he expressed his love for them.

Every miracle he performed was an extension of his love and compassion.

 

 

 "...to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

 

The foundational building block of the commandment of love

is loving yourself.

There are so many people who do not love themselves.

There are many people who were never taught

 or encouraged to love themselves.

If we are created in the image and likeness of God

how can we love him if we do not love ourselves.

 

If we do not value ourselves how can we begin to love those around us?

How can we love those who irritate us by their actions or beliefs?

 

Loving ourselves makes it more likely that we can move to the next level

of loving our neighbors...all of our neighbors.

This is so often the area of love where we impose boundaries.

Jesus did not say only love those who are just like yourself.

Jesus did not qualify who you should or should not love.

You never hear Jesus tell you not to love anyone.

 

The love Jesus spoke of was all inclusive.

It is the total package of love.

 

Loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves may sound easy,

 but most of us are never able to completely accomplish such love.

 

Perhaps our inability to love as Jesus wants us to love is why

we hear about love so often in the scriptures.

The more we hear about how to love the more

we will be able to put it into practice.

 

Where do you need more love in your life?

Is it in loving yourself?

Is it in loving your neighbor?

Is it in loving God?

 

These three are not optional...

they are requirements....commandments.