Theological Reflection
In today’s gospel text, Jesus leans on teachings very old and familiar to achieve something completely new. Much earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had declared that he has come not to “abolish the Law or the Prophets…but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). In this text from Matthew 22, we gain a deeper understanding of what such a fulfillment looks like.
After all, when Jesus is asked which commandment in the Law is the greatest, he noticeably does not produce a new commandment or saying. Rather, he reaches into the Hebrew scriptures and brings together two familiar passages. For Jesus, these two central commandments provide a lens through which to interpret the whole law. Love of God and love of neighbor stand at the heart of Jesus’s teaching and ministry, as well as at the heart of the life to which he calls each of those who follow him.
There is a well-known story from the Talmud that echoes the sentiment of Christ’s message today. The story recounts how a Gentile desired to convert to Judaism. However, there was a catch: He would only convert to Judaism if a Rabbi would teach him the breadth of the Torah while the hopeful new convert was standing on one foot. First the seeker went to the prominent Rabbi Shammai who immediately threw the individual out of his home after hearing the unusual request. However, showing much perseverance, the individual next approached Rabbi Hillel, who agreed to take on the challenge. Hilel said, “what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—go and study it!” (Brombacher, “On One Foot,” chabad.org). This story echoes the sentiment that Jesus sets forth in positioning love of neighbor at the heart of our love for God.
This conversation resonates in a setting charged with both political and religious tension. The various groups assembled had different nuances to the beliefs and interpretations of Scripture held by their religious authorities. Engaged in dialogue with Jesus, each held their own hopes and expectations about the future of God’s people. They each had unique views about the role of the coming Messiah, the role of the present-day secular authorities, and how the fulfillment of the law was to play out in their own lifetimes and beyond. They all lived with pressing questions about what God had planned for Israel, and what their futures were going to look like. As the embodiment of God’s promises and the fulfillment of much Messianic anticipation, Jesus does something rather surprising: He grounds the questions in the simple and the day-to-day. He embeds the horizon of God’s promise future in the interactions of daily life: How we treat the neighbors and strangers in our midst is a direct reflection of how we respond to God’s love for us.
This love for “neighbor” extends beyond our fellow humanity to also concern all those neighbors whom God has connected us to in creation. To truly love our neighbor means to care for their wellbeing and to desire for them to have access to the same resources and opportunities that we would desire for ourselves. When we care for one another and for the earth around us, we participate in the love of God that has been demonstrated to us through the person of Jesus Christ.
It is in this way that Jesus fulfills the law: not by disregarding it, but by highlighting and pointing us toward its most central purpose. Love of God cannot be separated from love of neighbor or from our responsibility towards the world and all those human and non-human inhabitants whom God has entrusted to our care.
Discussion Questions
- Are there ways or places or practices in which you find it easy to love God through your neighbor? Where is it more difficult?
- When has the love shown to you by a neighbor helped you to see God better?
- Who qualifies as a “neighbor” in our Christian calling? Does anyone exist outside of this category?
- How do you see the call to love God and neighbor as extending beyond the human family? What are some examples that come to mind in your everyday life?
Faith in Practice
This week, take up in your prayer and practice the expanded concept of “neighbor” from Matthew 22. Identify one person you interact with regularly, but with whom you have had little substantive interaction. First, pray for this person. Then, look for an appropriate opportunity to share with them the love God has for them. Perhaps that means having a conversation to learn more about their life and interests, writing a card, sharing a small gift, or simply taking the time to acknowledge them in a meaningful way. It does not need to be a grand gesture! The point is to notice someone who has become part of the background of your life. Make the choice to see them—and treat them—as your neighbor in a deeper way.
Ethan White serves as curate at Christ Church Frederica in St. Simons Island, Georgia, and was ordained to the transitional diaconate in April 2026.
