When as asked to "the greatest commandment in the law," Jesus response undoubtedly surprised his questioner (Matt. 22:36). In the assumed likelihood of Christ's addressing one of the more emphasized "Thou shalt nots," the one posing the question could then, with a sense of self-righteousness, assert his compliance with this, the greatest of spiritual requisites.
It did not quite work out that way, however. The inquiring individual found Jesus' two-fold answer of: 1) loving God with a totality of self and being and, 2) loving one's neighbor as oneself, troubling. Indeed, the need to "justify himself" in terms of the latter point indicates the degree to which Christ's answer had hit home. We all know the story.
Scripture consistently portrays love for God and love for "neighbor" (here defined, not in terms of physical or geographical proximity, but rather those to whom service may be rendered) as possessing integral relationship. The Church has frequently experienced difficulty here - those of a "liberal" bent tending to emphasize the latter command to a loss of vision concerning the first, and more conservative elements sometimes becoming so wrapped up in being "spiritual" as to neglect the horizontal dimension of Jesus' directive.
As those of a conservative sphere of emphasis, we do well to frequently revisit Jesus' exposition of Matthew 25:31-46. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory...all the nations" (i.e., everybody; despite a frequent misunderstanding here, reference is not to a judgment of nation-states), answer shall be given - not only with regard to "spiritual" considerations but also as to the temporal care and concern shown others.
Burl Ratzsch
