Commentary
Love God First, or God Loves
First
The order with
which this Gospel passage is arranged for the Sunday Gospel might provide us
one possible interpretation and lesson.
It is God who has
given us all (last Sunday’s reminder of “giving to God what belongs to God.”). Thus, even our ability to love comes from
God.
Consequently,
when I love God, I just try to respond to the One who has loved me first, and
without whom I would not even exist.
Then, I am
called to love my neighbor, who like me, comes from God. And like me, he belongs to God. Moreover, I am called to see the neighbor as
the gift of God’s love for me.
In loving my
neighbor, I again respond to God’s love with love.