Podcast: "The Greatest Commandment" (Thoughts on Sunday's Readings)

This Sunday the Gospel reading from Matthew recounts how, after having silenced those who sought to entrap him in his own words, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment.

Here are my thoughts on his answer.


Podcast: "The Greatest Commandment")(30th Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle A) [right click to download]

During the podcast I mentioned some of the parallels between Jesus' teaching and the rabbis. Here is some more on that.

Rabbi Aqiba: “This is the encompassing principle of the Law” (Sipra Lev. §200 [on Lev 19:15–20])

Rabbi Hillel: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor; that is the whole Law” (b. Šabb. 31a)

The idea of loving God and neighbor as related concepts:
-- T. Iss. 5:2: “love the Lord and your neighbor"
--T. Iss. 7:6: “I loved the Lord and humanity with the whole heart"
--T. Dan 5:3: “Love the Lord with all your life and one another with a true heart”
--Philo, Spec. Laws 2.63: But among the vast number of particular truths and principles [are] two main heads: one of duty to God. . . one of duty to humans”[1]

Please leave your thoughts or comments on the podcast in the comment box. We'd appreciate your feedback!

---

[1] For further discussion of rabbinic and Jewish parallels see Craig Evans, Mark 8:27–16:20 (WBC 34B; Dallas: Nelson, 2002), 265.