The Dilemma

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The dilemma in Matthew 22:37–39. 


The Bible says,

• 37: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind"

• 38: "This is the great and first commandment"

• 39: "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" 

The foregoing verses were actually a summation of the ten commandments. Details of which proved to be unburdensome. In substance, it was attuned to the tenet, "do not do unto others what you do not want do unto you". It is a neighborly love that may be equated to, "do not hate thy neighbor". Hence, firm believers found verse 37 to be far more unexacting and less inconvenient to follow, at least through the exercise of faith, principally because after all, God has no bias and prejudice. On the other hand, there seems to be some diificulty if not reluctance in abiding with verse 39. That is, "love thy neighbor as thyself ", since, it is somehow regarded as an ego buster, perceived to be non reciprocating, incomprehensible, relative to the wordly reality and nearly impossible, given the dynamics of human nature. A chat mate and an acquaintance raised a similar question of ethical and moral dilemma. They said, I have faith in GOD but much as I want to, how can I love people (or not hate) who mistreated me and regarded me as a lesser being. The other one said, how can I love (or not hate) backbiters and trechearous people. Much as we want to abide we cant, they muttered collectively. So where does the deviation from verse 39 lead to? The perpetuity of sin to the soul's damnation? The permanent separation from GOD? The curtailment of the soul's evolution? At the onset, I raised no objection, in recognition of innate human frailties. They were reasonably rignt. Its not doable for most, especially by those whose faith redounds only around religious ceremonies and rituals. Unless, there is an understanding of the relationship between those verses, prejudice for self-preservation will remain a constraint.

From hereon, I will share my humble view on the subject verses, which may lead hopefully towards clarity. In our college years, there are subjects that a student cannot take without first accomplishing and passing the corresponding pre-requisite subject. Por ejemplo, enrollment in advance accounting needs a passing grade in basic accounting. Poli sci 1 is required before you can take Poli sci 2 and so on. Now going back to Matthew 22, verse 38 is not dissimilar. It was an expresssion of prerequisition. In other words, it points to verse 37 as a prerequisite towards the achievement of conformance and compliance with verse 39. So much so, that when you reached that state..., of loving GOD truly, dutifully, first and foremost as expressed in verse 38, with your whole heart, mind and soul, meaning the point at which the tripartite man came into fusion, and became one with God, you transcend to being part of the all, a re-birth, into a being that will live in possession of GOD's consciousness. You will become one, and at home with all of creation, which we all know is governed and bound by unconditional love. The egoistic self will vanished into oblivion, and what will remain is the true self, the higher self rising from the dead. The thyself, which from the very start was filled with love will overflow and will be more than incapable of hate. Such that, you will no longer see your neighbor as a separate entity but rather a part of the all, which you belong. At that juncture, what is impossible becomes natural and consequential. The dilemma blown into kingdom come. In the end, which actually will be the beginning, the spirit will rule, and the earthly will be humbled, it will vow and submit into unconditional compliance.

Now it is essential to point out that verse 39 likewise exude a spiritual meaning. "Love thy neighbor as thyself", in metaphysical sense, it calls for the soul to fuse with the divine spirit, the latter being the neighbor that dwell in the same body as the soul. It urges the soul to desist from identifying with the body, the latter being merely a vessel. When in fusion, the spirit and the soul will exist as one in the same body. Thus, the body will begin to express and manifest GOD's consciousness, rather than the man's materialistic and ego-centered consciousness.

I pray that these perspectives may give you the inspiration to seek more. May it serve as a fliker of light along your trail.

Shalom!

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