Two commandments in one – Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
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“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul; and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment; and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself! On these two commandments the whole Law and the Prophets are based ‘”(Matthew 22: 35-40).
These two commandments form the ascetic-hesychastic basis on which the Orthodox spiritual life in Christ, in the Church stands in completeness.
Here is why:
The most important thing is to direct the energy of our mind, prayerfully – through the primary function of the mind – to the One True God – the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. If we do not direct it to God, then, most certainly, regardless of the intention, we direct it to the demons or to the rest of the rational and non-rational creation. Thus, let each one reconsider and decide with whom he will enter into communication by directing the energy of his mind – with the energy of the created rational or non-rational creation, or with the uncreated energy of God that transfigures us. The consequences are absolutely different (opposed). With the aforementioned action the first commandment of God can be fulfilled: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul; and with all your mind.”
Not less important is the same energy in the secondary function of the mind – as nous (intellect), to be properly directed. We are all faced with making important decision (choice): Will we direct our energy in the secondary function to the fulfilment of God’s commandments by deed (act), or will we direct it to the satisfaction of our passions by deed? The second choice also is seemingly simple, but in essence it depends on the first one – our love for God. Through the first mentioned directing of our energy, the second commandment of God can be fulfilled: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” by deed.
It is important to remember that; through the fulfilment of the commandments the more we come to know God, and, the more accurately and strongly we will be able to direct the energy of our mind towards Him. And vice versa.
It is impossible to fulfil one commandment without the other.
As for the second part of the Gospel reading, where Christ asks the Pharisees how can it be, if Christ is the Son of David, as they themselves claim, David to call Him, the Lord? By this Christ Himself indicates to them that the Son of God is also the Son of Man, that is, He was incarnate and became God-Man; and as such, He fulfilled both commandments, and from that moment those two greatest commandments are no longer similar, but are one and the same struggle (endeavour).
In addition to the Lord Christ fulfilling these commandments, the Lord Christ also said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did to Me” (Matthew 25:40), which once again shows and confirms that – to love your neighbour as yourself for the sake of Christ is the same as to love God with all your heart, soul, and nous.
The commandment of love towards the neighbours does not exclude the enemies; on the contrary, love towards the enemies is the only precise measure and criterion for the love towards God and towards every human being. In other words, the more we love the one who does evil to us, the more we love God and our neighbour – no less, no more.
Let us not deceive ourselves … He who has the love as a gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit cannot hate at the same time. There is no place here for ordinary human feelings, where we love someone and hate someone. That is why I tell you, the purpose of the demon is for us to see our neighbour as the enemy, to return evil with evil and to be left without the grace of the Holy Spirit; and at the same time to even think that we are pious and that we offer sacrifices to God.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Metropolitan of Strumica Nahum
(02.10.2021 08:43)
