Many people have asked me this same question over the years, and I understand why. In a world filled with so many teachings, traditions, and expectations, we naturally want to know: What does God truly desire from me? When Jesus answered this question, He gave us something beautifully simple, yet deep enough to guide our entire lives.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear a scholar of the Law ask Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds without hesitation: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then He adds something remarkable — that the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In just a few words, the Lord brings together all of Scripture, all of God’s plan, into the language of love.
The Church teaches us that these two commandments are like two sides of the same coin. Loving God draws us into His heart, and from that place, we naturally begin to love others with the same tenderness He shows us. When Jesus places “neighbor” right beside “God,” He reveals how deeply God identifies Himself with the people around us — especially those who struggle, suffer, or feel forgotten.
What this means for our daily lives is beautifully practical. Every prayer we whisper, every act of kindness we choose, every moment we restrain anger or offer forgiveness — all of it becomes a way of living out the greatest commandment. Loving God is not only about words or rituals; it’s about letting His love reshape the way we look at every person who crosses our path.
May we let these two commandments become the steady rhythm of our days — loving God with all we are, and loving others with the gentleness Christ has shown us. And may every choice we make reflect the love that first came to meet us.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
