Mark 12:30-31 "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul...'"

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31).

Question:

My mom and I are arguing about that verse. She says that Jesus here says to love your neighbor more than yourself, therefore thinking about others before you. And I say the opposite: if you love other people so much, why don’t we love ourselves as much as them?

Comment:

There is an inherent contradiction in these verses, if we simply take them at face value. If we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, then what is left with which to love ourselves, much less our neighbors? If we hold some love back for our neighbors, then we are not giving it all to God. If we give it all to God, there’s nothing left for either our neighbors or ourselves.

The answer, I think, is that it’s all the same! In loving ourselves, we are loving God. In loving our neighbors, we are loving God. There is no distinction, no separation. It’s all God.

So you and your mother are both right. There are no limitations possible on the infinite Love that is God—and we are One with that infinite power. We can’t love ourselves and ignore our neighbors, nor can we love our neighbors at the expense of ourselves. It isn’t either/or; it’s all, and much more.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed