II. La loi — Le 32e dimanche
The Commandment of Love
The law of love requires that we treat all people, including our enemies, as our neighbors because of the bond God has established.
220. M: What does the second article mean? E: It means that just as we are naturally inclined to love ourselves so much that this affection outweighs everything else, so also charity toward our neighbors should dominate our hearts, leading and guiding us as the rule for all our thoughts and deeds. What does “neighbor” mean? 221. M: And what do you understand by “our neighbors”?✦ E: Not just our relatives and friends, or those we know, but also those we don’t know, and even our enemies.1 222. Minister: What bond do they have with us? Student: The kind God has established among all people on earth—it's inviolable, so no one's malice can destroy it. 223. M: So you're saying that if someone hates us, that is their own doing, and yet that according to God's order they do not cease to be our neighbor, and we must hold them as such?✦ E: Yes, exactly.
The Law and Human Weakness
While the Law provides the perfect pattern for life, human weakness prevents us from fulfilling it, yet God graciously accepts our sincere efforts.
No one fully keeps the Law. M: Since the Law contains the pattern for serving God well, shouldn't the Christian live as it commands? E: Yes, they should—but there is such weakness in everyone that no one fully keeps it.2 225. M: Why then does the Lord require such perfection, which is beyond our ability? E: He requires nothing of us that we are not bound to do.3 Besides, so long as we make the effort to conform our lives to what it says, even though we are far from reaching perfection, the Lord does not hold against us what is still lacking.4
The Law's Unyielding Demand
The Law remains an absolute standard of obligation that condemns all who fail to fulfill it completely, highlighting the necessity of regeneration.
226. Master: Are you speaking in general of everyone, or only of the faithful? Student: Anyone not regenerated by the Spirit of God couldn't even begin to do the least thing required in it.5 Moreover, even if someone were found who did some part of it, they still wouldn't be free of the obligation.6 For our Lord declares that all who won't completely fulfill everything it contains will be cursed (Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10).7
Read the original Latin
220. M : Quel est le sens du second article? E : C'est que, comme nous sommes si enclins naturellement à nous aimer, que cette affection surmonte toutes les autres, aussi que la charité de nos prochains domine tellement en nos coeurs qu'elle nous mène et conduise et soit la règle de toutes nos pensées et nos oeuvres.
Que signifie le prochain 221. M : Et qu'entends-tu par « nos prochains »? E : Non seulement nos parents et amis, ou ceux qui ont accointance avec nous, mais aussi ceux que nous ne connaissons pas, et même nos ennemis.
222. M : Quelle conjonction ont-ils avec nous? E : Telle que Dieu a mise entre tous les hommes de la terre, laquelle est inviolable, et ainsi ne se peut abolir par la malice de personne.
223. M : Tu dis donc que si quelqu'un nous hait, cela est de son propre, mais cependant que selon l'ordre de Dieu il ne laisse point d'être notre prochain, et nous le faut tenir pour tel? E : Voire.
Nul ne s'acquitte envers la Loi 224. M : Puisque la Loi contient la forme de bien servir à Dieu, l'homme chrétien ne doit-il pas vivre selon qu'elle commande? E : Si fait bien, mais il y a telle infirmité en tous, que nul ne s'en acquitte parfaitement.
225. M : Pourquoi donc requiert le Seigneur une telle perfection qui est par- dessus notre faculté? E : II ne requiert rien à quoi nous ne soyons tenus. Au reste, moyennant que nous mettions peine de conformer notre vie à ce qui nous y est dit, encore que nous soyons bien loin d'atteindre jusqu'à la perfection, le Seigneur ne nous impute point ce qui défaut.
226. M : Parles-tu en général de tous hommes, ou seulement des fidèles? E : L'homme qui n'est régénéré de l'Esprit de Dieu ne pourrait commencer à faire le moindre point qui y soit. Davantage, encore qu'il s'en trouvât un qui en fit quelque partie, si ne serait-il pas quitte pourtant. Car notre Seigneur dénonce que tous ceux qui ne parferont entièrement le contenu d'icelle seront maudits (Deutéronome 27:26 ; Galates 3:10).
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.10.29 — But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'
- ↩Lev.19.18;Matt.5.43-Matt.5.44;Luke.10.27-Luke.10.37 — You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Matt.5.43 — You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' Matt.5.44 — But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Luke.10.27 — And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luke.10.28 — And he said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live." Luke.10.29 — But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' Luke.10.30 — Jesus replied, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead." Luke.10.31 — Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Luke.10.32 — In the same way also a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luke.10.33 — But a certain Samaritan, traveling that way, came upon him, and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. Luke.10.34 — and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Luke.10.35 — And on the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Luke.10.36 — Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the one who fell among the robbers? Luke.10.37 — He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.'
Notes
- 1 ↩French parents here means kin/relatives in broader older usage, not only mother and father; rendered “relatives.”
- 2 ↩Middle French « Si fait bien » is a strong affirmative (“yes indeed / yes, he ought”); rendered as “Yes, he should” to answer the Master’s rhetorical question naturally in modern English.
- 3 ↩Source reads "II"; treated as "Il" (He), the expected Middle French reading after M's question about the Lord.
- 4 ↩"ne nous impute point" rendered as "does not hold against us" to keep modern register while preserving the force of non-imputation of remaining shortfall; "impute" is the more technical theological equivalent.
- 5 ↩"y" points back to the Law (la Loi) from the preceding exchange; rendered as "in it" for that referent.
- 6 ↩Middle French "si ... pourtant" is adversative ("yet / still"); "quitte" means discharged from debt or duty, not casually "free."
- 7 ↩"d'icelle" is archaic demonstrative for the Law; "parferont entièrement le contenu" is full completion of its whole content, not partial observance.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit