The two readings for mass today are very different from one another. The first reading continues to explain about the nature of love, and the gospel today gives an account of Jesus reading from a scroll in front of all the people in the synagogue. Which reading should we focus on? The heart of the first reading? Or the mind, like the second reading? It really isn’t an either or situation though, because we are called to love God with all of our heart, our mind, our soul and our strength. Lk 10:27
Saint Paul speaks from the heart today, when he writes, “Beloved, we love God because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother he is a liar, for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen…..Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 Jn 4:19-20 This doesn’t exactly sound very loving but it really is, because God always identifies with the lowly, the hurt, the suffering, unloved or forgotten. If our “brother” is hurting because of how we treat Him, it hurts God too. In fact Jesus said this is the main criteria that we will be judged by one day, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. ” Mt. 25:40 How we treat one another is of paramount importance to Jesus.
The rest of the first reading from the Letter of Saint John goes on to explain that we show that we love God by keeping His commandments and by loving his children. We become a different kind of family then, not a flesh and blood family, but one born in the Spirit of the living God.
When Jesus stood up to read the scriptures in front of all of the people in the synagogue, they embraced him as one of their own. Jesus grew up in Nazareth and everyone knew him from his childhood, he was almost like extended family to them. They seemed to be proud of him, spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They didn’t seem to be offended by the fact that he confidently told them that the words of scripture had just been fulfilled in their hearing. They treated him very well, but things can change on a dime and a few verses later in scripture we hear that they became so infuriated with him that they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff and kill him.
The true test of love isn’t when things are going well and everyone thinks well of you. When things are going smoothly and peacefully it is a lot easier to love one another. The true test of genuine love is revealed in the trials, conflicts, pain and suffering that we all go through at different times in our lives. If we come through the other side of these things with relationships intact, with mutual forgiveness, healing and peace, then we have loved one another the way that God loves us. Even if a relationship did not remain intact, mutual forgiveness, healing and peace is still attainable. How we treat one another matters a great deal to Jesus. We can’t change the past, but from this point on, maybe we could work on treating one another with more love and respect in the coming year.
