The Two Commandments

There were plenty of people doing heinous, atrocious, evil things in Jesus’ day.

Murderers, robbers, torturers, corrupt leaders.

And there were plenty of people who had no regard for God or their fellow man.

People who knew that what they were doing was evil, but didn’t care.

Yet, in our recent Gospel readings,

It’s the Pharisees and the Scribes who provoke Jesus’ ire.

He uses scathing words in a long and passionate criticism against them.

He calls them hypocrites and blind guides.

He says they focus on the inconsequential things and neglect the important things.

And yet, the Pharisees were convinced that they were good people.

Look at young St Paul for example.

Before his conversion he was a strict Pharisee.

He had no doubt that he was doing the right thing—persecuting the followers of Jesus.

Cleansing the community from those evil, heretical influences.

He was certain that was what God wanted him to do.

The Pharisees are a good example of how far off track people can go without realizing it.

How lost and misguided people can become.

Individuals, small groups, whole communities.

Even when they’re sincerely trying to follow God’s will.

We humans clearly needed Jesus to come and set us on the right course.

But even his coming didn’t put a final end to the confusion and misguided behavior.

Still today, people commit terrible acts in the name of God.

And blindly believe that they’re serving Him and earning their reward in heaven.

Muslim extremists brutally slaughter thousands of innocent people in the name of Allah.

Throughout the world, religious sects go to war against each other.

Pro-Life extremists kill doctors who perform abortions.

In far less extreme ways, many people still believe their religion calls on them to hurt others.

In non-extreme ways, in our ordinary daily lives, we all sometimes lose sight of our true goals.

The Jews had developed over 600 detailed laws.

So, the Pharisees and Scribes might have claimed some confusion over priorities.

But Jesus wasn’t buying any excuses for their neglecting  judgment and mercy and fidelity.

They should have known those were the fundamental principles.

Jesus—and other Rabbi’s—had already boiled the law down to two simple Commandments.

Love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.

In our busy complex lives it’s easy to get bogged down in routine and in tedious detail.

But we can learn from the Pharisees’ mistakes.

We can step back, frequently, and ask ourselves how we’re doing with the big stuff.

Make sure that we’re not neglecting the important things because of obsession with the minutia.

Luckily, God does not demand absolute perfection from us. 
But he does expect us to do our sincere best to follow those two Great Commandments.

Tuesday 21st Week Ordinary Time

Mt 23:23-26      Read this Scripture @usccb.org