The Shape of Love

In this week’s Gospel (Mt 22:34-40), Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. Jesus’ answer speaks to the heart of faith: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. These words are familiar, yet they ask something new of us each time we hear them. What does loving God look like in the life I am actually living? Jesus draws love of God and love of neighbor so closely together that we cannot faithfully embrace one while neglecting the other.

The reading from Exodus (Ex 22:20-26) gives this love a practical expression. God names those whose lives are especially vulnerable: the stranger, the widow, the orphan, and the poor. Even a borrowed cloak matters because someone needs it to sleep through the night. There is tenderness in that detail. God sees the person behind the debt, the body beneath the cloak, the need that someone else might overlook. 

God also asks the Israelites to remember. They once lived as strangers in Egypt. Their own experience of vulnerability should help them recognize it in others. We too likely have memories that can deepen our compassion. 

In his letter to the Thessalonians (1Thes 1:5c-10), Paul describes a community whose faith had become visible to others. They turned away from idols to serve the living and true God and to await Jesus’ return. Their faith became known throughout Macedonia and Achaia and beyond, making them an example for other believers. 

Faith-Sharing Questions

1. What does loving your neighbor as yourself mean to you?

2. Name someone not in this group who has shown you what faith looks like through the way they live their lives?

3. When have you felt like a stranger, and what helped you feel welcome?

If you found this read enriching, you may also enjoy: Welcoming the World, a reflection on the kindness shown to strangers from around the world.