He said to him, "'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 a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39, NRSV One can’t pursue the core of Christianity without considering this passage. The greatest commandment, according to Jesus, is one that held a central place in Israelite history, and Jesus confirms its importance for his disciples when he answers this question: what is the greatest commandment? But, the greatest commandment isn’t our topic. Jesus identifies the second greatest commandment (unsolicited): love your neighbor as yourself. He says this is like the first (love God). I don’t know how many times I’ve talked about loving your neighbor or heard others talk about it, but that isn’t our topic, either. Our topic is what surrounds that second commandment. It’s the part that gives us a frame of referen...