"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Mt 22:34-40
BACKGROUND
The question posed on Jesus is meant to divide the multitudes for or against Jesus. There are 613 commandments of the Talmud. By choosing one among the 613, there will surely be those who will disagree and, therefore, go against Jesus.
But Jesus did not choose from any of them. Jesus went beyond the commandments of the Talmud. He pointed to the Commandment of Love as the commandment that covers all other commandments and that provides the motivation for obeying them. Indeed, love is what makes obedience to God's commandments life-giving.
Come to think of it. The answer of Jesus is not surprising. For as John's letter said: God is love.
STORY
Love in Action
One day the medics brought a badly injured boy to the field hospital. His young friends accompanied him.
The injured boy needed blood transfusion. The doctors and nurses did not know how to speak vietnamese. But they had to tell the young friends that their injured boy needed blood and if they would volunteer to donate.
As they tried to explain in sign language, fear registered in the eyes of the young friends. Finally one boy raised his hand.
They had him lied down and the procedure started. After a while the boy started to speak. He was crying as he did so. The nurses came to him to comfort him.
A translator happened to pass by the field hospital. He was called to the boy's side. They spoke. Then the translator began to laugh as he talked to the boy. The doctors and nurses asked the translator what happened.
He told them that the young friends thought that the doctors were asking them for a volunteer to give all his blood to the injured friend. And the boy who volunteered was crying because he wanted to know if his end was near.
CONCLUSION
PS
By the way love is not a noun. It is a verb.
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