Jesus raises the bar for us today in the Gospel. We are called to love our neighbour with the very love of God. It’s a bit of a tall order.
Maybe we can become good, or maybe even great, but how do we become perfect? It seems impossible, especially when the gold standard is God himself. What kind of hope do we have? Unless God himself were to take on flesh and destroy our sin and death, and unless that very love poured out into our lives through that saving action, transformed everything, and we became living temples of God; unless we were baptised into His death and shared His resurrection and His very spirit came to dwell in us, that would be utterly impossible. But that is exactly what happened. What He has done for us through His cross, through His resurrection and through our baptism, that very love poured into us can be poured out for our brothers and sisters. That very love is what transforms us.
I can be transformed to a greater degree every single day because the very love of God, the Holy Spirit, dwells in me and it dwells in you. As Paul says to us today, God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. We can allow God who dwells in us to perfect us, and He wants to. It is His great desire. How are we going to respond? It’s not just about following the rules and the laws, although if we cooperate with them, they are good for us. We have love with the very love that He pours into our hearts. We have to make that offer each day of our very lives, knowing God is the only one who can perfect us. Lord pour your love into my heart again so that I can pour it out to my brothers and sisters. God’s love is limitless. All things are possible in Him and with Him and through Him.
