Post by anthonycheow on Dec 6, 2022 7:31:03 GMT
Apologies in advance if this has been answered. I'm seeking general Catholic teaching on a very specific question, would be grateful if you can point me in the right direction even without directly answering. Here goes.
My question is, where does the New Commandment stand in terms of hierarchy vis-à-vis the Greatest Commandment.
Sometime during His earthly ministry we see people laying a trap, thinking along a specifically power-based hermeneutic, asking Jesus which commandment was the greatest.
His reply was abstract, but also to me somewhat a no-brainer. Love of God to the utmost, is a procedural "grundnorm" that forms the foundation of all rules. Jesus also proceeded to answer a question that was not asked: the second-greatest was stated to be not just "close to" the first, but also grouped together as a foundational law - upon these two laws hang all the others.
And fast-forward to after the Resurrection when He gave the New Commandment. I have some reasons for believing that the New Commandment in a way outranks the other two.
For starters, this was given after. That position alone suggests some degree of supplantation.
Second, the standards are much, much higher. The Second Greatest commandment was basically the Golden Rule. It doesn't take much to adhere to, especially for self-loathing individuals. But the New Commandment is about love to the point of extended and painful self-sacrifice. All of Christ's suffering is involved.
Third, the New Commandment is also a yardstick, a shibboleth. It is a God-given measure to all humanity for judging a person's Christianity - "by this shall all men know that you are my disciples".
So we have a very high, nigh-unachievable objective standard of perfection that we must aspire to, and orient our lives.
The practical point here for me, is that if I am right, it is never enough for a Christian to merely say "of course God is highest, and I am treating myself no better than I treat anyone else". We are called to rise above even this, and to love and care for others without holding back.
A sideways but related issue is, of course, the departure from traditional conservative hermeneutics of power and hierarchy and viewing love as THE power core.
Any thoughts?
My question is, where does the New Commandment stand in terms of hierarchy vis-à-vis the Greatest Commandment.
Sometime during His earthly ministry we see people laying a trap, thinking along a specifically power-based hermeneutic, asking Jesus which commandment was the greatest.
His reply was abstract, but also to me somewhat a no-brainer. Love of God to the utmost, is a procedural "grundnorm" that forms the foundation of all rules. Jesus also proceeded to answer a question that was not asked: the second-greatest was stated to be not just "close to" the first, but also grouped together as a foundational law - upon these two laws hang all the others.
And fast-forward to after the Resurrection when He gave the New Commandment. I have some reasons for believing that the New Commandment in a way outranks the other two.
For starters, this was given after. That position alone suggests some degree of supplantation.
Second, the standards are much, much higher. The Second Greatest commandment was basically the Golden Rule. It doesn't take much to adhere to, especially for self-loathing individuals. But the New Commandment is about love to the point of extended and painful self-sacrifice. All of Christ's suffering is involved.
Third, the New Commandment is also a yardstick, a shibboleth. It is a God-given measure to all humanity for judging a person's Christianity - "by this shall all men know that you are my disciples".
So we have a very high, nigh-unachievable objective standard of perfection that we must aspire to, and orient our lives.
The practical point here for me, is that if I am right, it is never enough for a Christian to merely say "of course God is highest, and I am treating myself no better than I treat anyone else". We are called to rise above even this, and to love and care for others without holding back.
A sideways but related issue is, of course, the departure from traditional conservative hermeneutics of power and hierarchy and viewing love as THE power core.
Any thoughts?