Saint Matthew 22:34-46

The former Pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City was fond of telling the story of an Elderly Woman Parishioner who had acquired an immense dislike for him. Worse yet, she spent a great deal of her time conveying these feelings to others in the parish.

The Pastor knew this and he dreaded the day when his parish calls inevitably would lead to her door.

Finally, the day came when his visitation schedule led him to her building. He paced up and down in front of the building, trying to work up the courage to go in, hoping that she would not be at home so that he could just leave his card.

Then he went in and knocked on the woman's door. No answer! Again he knocked. Again, no answer! He knocked a third time and heard a faint sound inside, but no one came to the door.

Then he knelt down and peered through the keyhole to see if anything was wrong. "Maybe the poor woman had a seizure of some kind and needs help," he said to himself.

But, as he stared through the keyhole, to his surprise, he saw an eye staring back. Then he heard the woman say, with a chuckle, "This is the first time we have seen eye-to-eye." To which the Pastor replied, "Yes, and we had to get down on our knees to do it."

Two thousand years ago, even among Jesus' closest followers, there were those who did not see eye-to-eye with Him on some of His teachings. And to this day there are those among Jesus' followers who still refuse to accept and obey certain of His teachings.

Two men were jogging one morning on the beach …

They stopped abruptly when they spotted an exotic ancient lamp half buried in the sand. One of the men picked up the object and began rubbing off the sand. Whereupon a Genie suddenly appeared before him.

"Sir," said the Genie, "Because you rubbed this mystic lamp, I can grant you and your companion one wish each." To which the first man replied, "I wish to be the smartest man in the world." Said the Genie, "Your wish is hereby granted."

Then it was the second man's turn to make a wish. "What is your wish?" the Genie asked. "I wish to be smarter than the smartest man in the world." He answered. Whereupon to his surprise, the Genie made him into a woman.

"Life is full of surprises," so goes the old cliché. Moreover, the Gospels inform us over-and-over again that Jesus' life and teachings are full of surprises.

He came to a generation of people who were anticipating a powerful, Military hero Messiah. But He made it clear to them that the Messiah was going to be branded a common criminal and suffer torture and execution.

What a surprise!

He came to a generation of people steeped in a philosophy of vengeance: an eye-for-an-eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. And He told them to turn the other cheek, to go the second mile, to love their enemies, pray for them, forgive them.

What a surprise!

He told them that most people who love money would have about as much chance of experiencing God's Presence in their lives as a camel has of getting through the eye of a needle.

What a surprise!

He told them that those people whose top priority was trying to be number one would come in last.

What a surprise!

Jesus' life and teachings area full of surprises like these. But, hopefully, we are no longer surprised by His answer in today's Gospel Reading. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and First Commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:36-40).

Many years ago, on the busiest block of the Main Street in a small town, a smooth cement sidewalk was laid to replace the old worn and rough brick walk …

When the Masons had completed their work, they covered the newly laid cement for several days while it dried out.

A little Civic Ceremony was arranged to celebrate the uncovering, and most of the townspeople turned out for the event. The Mayor stepped up to do the honors and, as he rolled up the covering, to expose the new sidewalk, a strange silence came over the crowd. Then suddenly it seemed that, without exception, everyone present was smiling tenderly, some with tears rolling down their cheeks. For they're on the new sidewalk, for the length of the whole block they saw the tiny prints of a barefoot toddling baby.

Those footprints are still there and anyone in town will tell you that never has a heavy heart passed down that street without being cheered up by the sight of those baby footprints.

Whether we realize it or not, we must leave footprints. Wherever we go and whatever we do. We are always leaving footprints.

It may be in a tender word of kindness, it may be in a thoughtless gesture of indifference. But each tiny act is making its imprint on the hearts of those with whom we come in contact.

A single loving act may glow forever as a golden imprint in the heart of the other. And a single display of arrogance mat crush an already embittered, downtrodden soul.

And for the most part, we are as unconscious as that toddling baby of the far-reaching effects of our everyday acts.

"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, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

The Gospels teach us that these are not two commandments, but one. The Gospels teach us that the Love of God and the Love of Neighbor are inseparable.

Put another way, Love of God is impossible without Love of Neighbor. Love of Neighbor is the indispensable means of expressing Love of God.

Again, Love of God and Love of Neighbor are inseparable.

We must see Eye-To-Eye on this Gospel truth!

What a surprise!

Thanks be to God!!!!!

Amen!!!