THE TWO COMMANDMENTS OF OUR LORD

A Catechumen’s Instruction in the First Principles of Christian Life

When we begin to learn the Christian faith, we must begin by listening to Jesus.

A lawyer once asked Jesus:

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” St. Matthew 22:36, AKJV

Jesus answered:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” – St. Matthew 22:37, AKJV

And then He gave the second:

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
St. Matthew 22:39, AKJV

Jesus then said:

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” – St. Matthew 22:40, AKJV

For a Catechumen, these words must become fundamental to understanding the Christian life.

1. JESUS DID NOT INVENT THESE COMMANDMENTS

Jesus was teaching from the Scriptures He knew—the Tanakh, what Christians call the Old Testament.

The first commandment comes from Deuteronomy:

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” – Deuteronomy 6:5, AKJV

The second comes from Leviticus:

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:18, AKJV

This is important for every Catechumen to understand.

Jesus knew the Scriptures. Jesus taught from the Scriptures. Jesus showed us how the Scriptures point us towards obedience to God.

The Old Testament is therefore not something that can simply be ignored by a Christian.

2. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT – LOVE GOD

Jesus places the love of God first.

Why?

Because God is our Creator and we are His creation.

This is the first truth a Catechumen must understand.

We did not create God.

God created us.

We are therefore not entitled to make ourselves the centre of existence or to decide that God’s commandments apply only when they suit us.

To love God means:

•	To reverence Him
•	To honour Him
•	To trust Him
•	To listen to Him
•	To submit to Him
•	To obey Him

Jesus made the connection unmistakable:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” St. John 14:15, AKJV

Therefore, loving Jesus is not merely an emotion.

Love must lead to obedience.

3. THE SECOND COMMANDMENT – LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

Jesus then commands:

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Our neighbour is not merely the person we like.

The command challenges us to consider how our actions affect other people.

A Catechumen must therefore learn to examine his or her behaviour:

•	Am I truthful?
•	Am I fair?
•	Am I willing to forgive?
•	Do I deliberately hurt others?
•	Do I show compassion to those in need?
•	Do I respect those with whom I disagree?
•	Do my actions make life better or worse for others?

Christian love is therefore not merely something we feel.

It is something we do.

4. OUR NEIGHBOUR ALSO INCLUDES THE WORLD GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO US

Here we must understand another teaching from the beginning of Scripture.

God gave mankind dominion over His creation:

“And God said unto them… have dominion…” – Genesis 1:28, AKJV

But dominion does not mean permission to destroy.

⁃	God is the Creator.
⁃	We are His stewards.
⁃	He has entrusted His creation to our care.

Yet look at what we do:

•	We throw plastic and rubbish into rivers, drains and public places.
•	We pollute water.
•	We destroy trees without necessity.
•	We waste water.
•	We waste food.
•	We destroy natural habitats.
•	We treat animals carelessly.
•	We pollute the air.
•	We leave our waste for others to deal with.
•	We consume carelessly and throw away what could have been preserved or reused.

The Old Testament reminds us:

“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” – Psalm 24:1, AKJV

The earth therefore does not belong to us absolutely.

It belongs to God.

5. THIS IS NOT MERELY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE

For a Catechumen, this distinction is important.

1.	We do not worship nature.
2.	We worship God, the Creator.
3.	Nature is not God.

But because nature is God’s creation, we have a responsibility to treat it with care and respect.

When we recklessly pollute, waste and destroy, we should ask ourselves:

Are we honouring the Creator who entrusted this world to us?

And:

Are we loving our neighbour when our carelessness leaves pollution, waste and destruction for others?

This brings us directly back to the two commandments of Jesus.

6. THE TWO COMMANDMENTS ARE A TEST OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE HERE ON EARTH

YOU, as a Catechumen, should learn to examine life through these two commandments, not for now alone but for the rest of your life – avoid mere LIP service…

LOVE GOD

•	Do I truly reverence God?
•	Do I place Him first?
•	Do I listen to Jesus?
•	Do I obey His commandments?
•	Do I approach worship with humility?
•	Do I remember that God is the Creator and I am His creation?

LOVE MY NEIGHBOUR

•	Do I treat others with honesty and kindness?
•	Do I forgive?
•	Do I show mercy?
•	Do I avoid causing unnecessary harm?
•	Do I consider the consequences of my actions?
•	Do I care for what God has entrusted to my keeping?

These are not merely questions for examination before Confirmation.

They are questions for every day of the Christian life.

7. WHAT MUST A CATECHUMEN REMEMBER?

The Christian life begins with the proper order:

1.	GOD — THE CREATOR

2.	WE — HIS CREATION

3.	OUR DUTY — TO LOVE GOD AND OBEY HIM

OUR DUTY TOWARDS OTHERS – TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR

Jesus has given us two commandments, but they reach into every part of our lives.

⁃	They govern how we worship.

⁃	They govern how we speak.

⁃	They govern how we treat people.

⁃	They govern how we use what God has entrusted to us.

⁃	They teach us that Christianity is not simply about believing certain things about Jesus.

It is about hearing Jesus, understanding Jesus and obeying Jesus.

And that is why these two commandments must become foundational to every Catechumen’s understanding of the Christian faith.

MY THOUGHT

GOD GAVE US DOMINION — WE ARE RETURNING TO HIM A GARBAGE BIN.

ARE WE NOT VIOLATING BOTH OF HIS SON’S COMMANDMENTS ?

THINK

Cecil K. Dewars