Today Jesus gives us a new commandment, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." [Jn. 13:34] To this, Jesus added, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." [Jn. 13:35] By shining in love towards one another, others will know that we are the disciples of Jesus. Jesus' view of love of God and neighbor does not contrast nor does he give anything new this is part of the Ten Commandments. Yet Jesus' combination of the two as the greatest commandments, exercised an authoritative influence on His followers.
What is strikingly new here is that Jesus makes the despised and marginalized folk his "brothers". He identifies himself with the poor and the powerless, with all who are hungry and miserable. Every man in this condition is Christ's brother; that is why what is done for them is done for Christ himself. Whoever comes effectively to the aid of these brothers of Jesus belongs to his Kingdom; whoever abandons them to their misery excludes himself from that Kingdom.
The love that we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ is a reflection of the love that we have for God. *If parents disown their children or the children continuously disobey their parents, there is no love of God and neighbor.
* *If brothers and sisters born in the same family are divided among each other, there is no love of God and neighbor. * *If we remain silent to the division that harbours anger, hatred, violence and verbal abuse there is no love of God and neighbor.
* *If our countries are divided, the innocent people are murdered, the children are orphaned, the women are raped, the refugees go hungry, the homes are destroyed, the drinking water is poisoned, the tribals and dalits are plunged into violence, there is no love of God and neighbor.
* *If the unborn are aborted, the life of the elderly and the sick are ended, there is no love of God and neighbor. *
*Hence love of God impels and compels us love of neighbor*
PRAISE GOD
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