• UNIT 3: THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

    Key Unit competence: Assess the practice of supreme commandment 

    and the Golden rule in various religious 

    teachings

    Introductory Activity

    Read attentively the answer given by Jesus to the one who asked Him 

    about the supreme Commandment of God “Love the Lord your God with 

    all your heart and with all your soul and with your mind? This is the first and 

    the greatest commandment. The second is like it: love your neighbor as 

    yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” 

    (Matthew 22:35-40).

     Assess how all commandment linked with these two above Commandments

    3.1. God’s commandments and their categories

    3.1. Learning activitiy 

    Basing on your experience as a believer, analyze the relationship between 

    God and his people.

    - What do you think regulates this relationship?

    - Discuss two commandements of your choice and identify sins related to 

    the breaking of these commandments?

    a) Decalogue

    God is love 1John4:8. God who is one and Triune lives communion of 

    Love as Paul said “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of 

    God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2Corinthians 

    13:13). When the man fell God did not abandon him. He called Abraham 

    and communicated him the plan of Salvation. He liberated the Abraham’s

    descendants from Egyptian slavery. God concluded Alliance with His people 

    at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:7-25) and the Sign of that Alliance is the Ten 

    Commandments of God known as Decalogue (Exodus 20: 3-17). Below are 

    the ten commandments of God and the values we get from:

    S

    G

    S

    I

    S

    X

    F

    D

    3.1. Application activity:

    1. Precise the Commandment of God that prevents us from the 

    following sins:

    a. Cheating quiz and examination

    b. Disobey discipline leaders at school

    c. Abortion of foetus willingly

    d. Sexual infidelity

    2. Precise the category and dimension for each commandment 

    below:

    a. Remember the Sabbath Day, the Day of the Lord and keep it 

    holy

    b. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour

    c. Honour your father and your mother

    d. You shall not steal 

    3. With fact example, explain how we sometimes substitute God by 

    money and by honour, and give a piece of advice.

    3.2. The Greatest Commandment

    3.2. Learning activitiy :

    Discuss the the greatest commandment in christianity and its importance 

    in daily life

    a) Greatest Commandment into the Old Testament

    The Old Testament also talks about the double greatest commandment of 

    God: Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord one! Love the Lord your 

    God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength” 

    (Deuteronomy 6:4-6). 

    This commandment is not only limited to love for God but also it has to be 

    prove to our neighbour as it is commended in book of Leviticus “you shall 

    love your neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18)

    b) Greatest Commandment into the New Testament

    When a lawyer and expert of the law asked Jesus what the most important 

    Commandment is Jesus responded: Love the Lord your God with all your 

    heart and with all your soul and with your mind. This is the first and the 

    greatest commandment. The second is like it: love your neighbour as 

    yourself. (Matthew 22:35-40). All the law and the prophets hang on these 

    two commandments”

    Richard comments the first part of the greatest commandment like this:

    With all your heart: never hide anything form God. He is your best 

    confidant; trust God with your heart. He will give you wisdom and direction, 

    keep commandments into your heart and be moral “If you love me, keep my 

    commandments” (John14:15).

    With all your soul: display the fruits of self-control and having a humble 

    spirit. A balance between spiritual life, dogmas of your beliefs, feelings, 

    emotions, and daily life is necessary.

    With all your mind: renew your mind with the Word of God and do everything 

    consciously. 

    With all your strength: ask from God to give you the supernatural strength 

    to do what God is calling you to do. Do what you have to do beyond how you 

    fell.

    Love your neighbour as yourself: before we love others we must know that 

    we are loved. God loved us before: we must first receive God who is love 

    and then we love others for God who is inside us (Philippians 2:13). Bernock 

    confirms “Before we can give this love we need to receive it ourselves. 

    You can not give what you do not have”. We remember a clear meaning 

    of the one who is our neighbour was given by Jesus in a parable of Good 

    Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). Referring to the Bible, Bernock identified some 

    characteristics of loving your neighbour:

    • Acting with compassion

    • Looking out for neighbours’ wellbeing (1Corinthians13:1-13)

    • Serving from heart that means kindness (1Corinthians13:4)

    • Speak kindly

    • Sharing joy and sorrow: rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with 

    those who mourn (Romans 12:15

    • Forgiving (Ephesians 1:4)

    Jesus shows love as new and greatest commandment and as a tangible 

    mark of His disciple “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples” 

    (John13:35). 

    3.2. Application activity: 

    1. Explain a) To love God with all your heart 

     b) To love God with your entire mind

    2. To love your neighbour requires receiving love first. Explain

    3. How do you love God through your classmates or your neighbours?

    4. Talk about love God with all your sou

    3.3. The Golden rule in various religions

    Barikunda is a student-teacher in one of Rwanda teacher training college. 

    He is clever and talented. He never explains courses to his time taker 

    classmates. He thinks he will be the first and almost alone to get scholarship 

    for University then he will serve God and the society. He always becomes 

    jealous against his some classmates who try their best to succeed and he 

    celebrates the failure of time taker ones. Study the case and thereafter 

    advise him about good service to God and to the society

    3.3.1. Golden rule in IslamX

    Golden rule in Islam is as an ethics of reciprocity which refers to an Islamic 

    moral principle that calls upon people to treat others the way they would 

    like to be treated (Abu Amina Elias: 2013). The Oxford dictionary defines the 

    golden rule as any form of the dictum: do unto others as you would have 

    them do unto you (Oxford English Dictionary: 1989)

    E

    Several times Muhammad PBUH stated the Golden rule as reported by 

    disciples: None of you has faith until he loves for his brother or his neighbour 

    what he loves for himself (sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 72)

    Sahih Muslim: refers to authentic source of reported information

    • The servant does not reach the reality of faith until he loves for the 

    people what he loves for himself of goodness (Sahih Ibn Hibban, Book 

    of faith, Number 238).

    • Whoever would be delighted to be delivered from the hellfire and 

    entered into Paradise, then let him die with faith in Allah and the last 

    Day, and let him treat the people the way he would love to be treated ( 

    Musnad Ahmad, Number 6768, Sahih).

    • The words said by Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with Him) were 

    reported: be kind to your neighbour and you will be a believer; love 

    for the people what you love for yourself and you will be a muslim 

    (By Al-Bukhali, Ali-Adab Al-Mufrad, Number 260, Hasan) in Sunan AtTirmidhi, Book of Asceticism, Number 2305, Sahih)

    3.3.2. Golden rule in Judaism

    The value of empathy is deeply rooted in Jewish everyday’s life. Rabbi Tzvi 

    Nightingale recounts: Judaism depends on the ability to view another person 

    as real as oneself. For Judaism believers, to understanding God’s Word 

    cannot begin without the recognition that a person next to me is just a real 

    as me; that another person travelling through life has the self and same

    experience of love, pain, hurt and joy from the ups and downs as the life 

    that I strongly and seriously experienced (Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale: 2018). 

    The Talmud shows that the Torah mainly rolls on Golden rule as Rabbi Tzvi 

    Nightingale continues: 

    A gentile came to Shammai Jewish school (50-30 before Christian era) 

    requesting a quickie conversation to Judaism. He asked to be taught the 

    entire Torah while standing on one foot. Shammai (master and founder of 

    that school) had no patience for the ridiculous and disrespectful request and 

    chased him out of the study hall. Unworried, the gentile then proceeded to 

    visit Shammai’s colleague Hillel with the same request. Hillel instructed him 

    “Whatever is hateful and distasteful to you, do not do to your fellow man” this 

    is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary. Go learn!

    D

    Brannon Deibert defined it in moral context: the golden rule covers the 

    empathic essence of morality. It is a simple yet powerful way of saying that 

    we should recognize the respective dignity of our fellow man and not forget 

    we all are capable of inflicting immoral actions.

    The golden rule particularly, guides the Christian relationships and interactions 

    and social life in general

    Importance of Golden rule

    J

    The Golden rule 

    • Teaches us to adopt self-discipline and kindness

    • Guides principles of all morality

    • Comprises all the rules and all precepts given by the Prophets

    • Instructs us to put ourselves in our neighbours’ place and guides our 

    behaviours accordingly.

    So, Golden rule is a vital emphasis on empathy and the reciprocity of morality

    H

    “Lord make me an instrument of your peace;

    Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

    Where there is injury, pardon;

    Where there is discord, union;

    Where there is doubt, faith;

    Where there is despair, hope;

    Where there is darkness, light;

    Where there is sadness, joy”.

    “O Divine Master,

    Grant that I may not so much seek

    To be consoled, as to console;

    To be understood, as to understand;

    To be loved, as to love;

    For it is in giving that we receive,

    It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and

    It is in dying that we are born to eternal life”

    Amen

    Christians are encouraged to shine, to be the light for others. The must 

    evangelizes by good works in order the world that surrounds them see their 

    good deeds and glorify the Father in Heaven (Matthew5:6). The Prayer of 

    Francis of Assisi reminds us just how we can do that. It is an uplifting prayer 

    that teaches us how we can live like Jesus Christ and serve those around 

    us, putting others needs first. God wants us we feel and prove love for Him 

    through our neighbours as condition to live communion with Him “ No one 

    has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His 

    love is perfected in us (1John4:12)

    3.3. Application activity: 

    1. After you learnt the Golden Rule in different religions, Generalize 

    it.

    2. Explain the Golden Rule in context of empathic essence of morality.

    3. Actualise the Golden rule to your school life.

    4. Analyse the values which are in the whole prayer of St Francis of 

    Assisi

    3.4. End unit assessment

    1. How should you observe the supreme Commandment of God at 

    school and at home?

    2. Assess the doctrinal similarities on Golden rule between Judaism, 

    Christianity and Islam

    3. Classify the Commandments of God according to their categories 

    and their dimensions 

    4. How can the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi be important at your 

    school? Justify your answers.

    5. What do you understand by the word Talmud?


    UNIT 2: BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAMUNIT 4: THE PILLARS OF FAITH IN ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS