Mark 21:30-31

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your souls and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Commentary: In the time of Jesus, thieves and adulterers were regularly stoned. But he came with a message to correct our thinking and priorities that no law is to be greater than these laws of brotherhood clearly stated in here, and this commandment applies “with all.” The commandment states clearly that we are to love our neighbor as our self. It is an important distinction that it does not say to pretend as though our neighbor were us, but rather read the scripture as though it suggests that our neighbor is quite literally our own self. It is also important to note that the statement sets no conditions on your neighbors as being worthy of love. The scripture repeats the words “with all” four times. There is to be no part of creation, no individual or group which is to be withheld from our love. Commandments are reflections of eternal laws. The eternal Law which is reflected here in Jesus’ most direct instruction is the law of Interbeing.