Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

8 OCTOBER (Lk 10,25-37)

Loving God and loving the neighbour are inseparable, indivisible. However, it is not man the one who chooses how to love man. It is God instead who gives man the true law of love. In the New Testament Jesus Christ gives a fully divine dimension to this commandment. He gives himself as a model of true love.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Cf. Mt 5,21-38).

In Christ the love of God and the neighbour are two similar but not identical commandments, because God and man are not to be loved equally. Never might any one love his neighbour according to truth if he does not love God according to truth; and nobody ever might love God in fullness of truth unless he loves his neighbor in fullness of truth. It is in Christ that the form, the essence, and the substance of love must always be drawn from.

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

True love, according to the will of God revealed by Jesus Christ, is the only way to be able to reach the Kingdom of heaven, after our death. It is the substance of the redemption operated by Christ Jesus. Who is truly redeemed, saved, justified, and sanctified? Who loves God and the neighbour according to the perfect exemplarity left us by Lord Jesus. Who gives his life for those who are enemies of God and man, who live in transgression of the Law of God for their conversion and salvation. In the New Testament he loves according to truth who gives his life for the redemption of the world, for the conversion of every man, for the salvation of all men.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints teach us true love.