#24 Top 40 New Testament Passages: The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40)

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And 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)

We have a way of choosing key scripture passages and giving them a name. The Ten Commandments are never called the Ten Commandments in scripture. We placed that title upon the Decalogue. The Beatitudes are not called the Beatitudes either. And Jesus never gave us the Great Commandment. That's our title. He merely quoted what he believed to be, along with many other Jews, the heart of the Law of Moses.

An expert in the Law of Moses was testing Jesus in order to discredit him before the crowds that came to hear him speak. He hoped to find some error in Jesus' understanding and teaching. The occasion took place in the temple in Jerusalem after Jesus' triumphant entry (another title we produced). The Pharisees had witnessed Jesus besting challenges from the Sadducees, as well as the chief priests and elders of the people. So now the expert in the Law of Moses approached Jesus. He asked which is the greatest commandment in the Law.

Jesus quoted to him Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

It is part of what Jews have titled the Shema, which is Hebrew for hear or listen or give heed. It serves as the centerpiece of Jewish morning and evening prayer. 

The first part of the three part Shema prayer is translated below. Faithful Jews recite the Shema daily.

Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.
And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them
when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Jesus quickly followed claiming Deuteronomy 6:5 as the greatest commandment with Leviticus 19:18, saying that love of neighbor is second only to the love of God, and is like the love of God. 

"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:18)

Notice the shorthand "love your neighbor" implies the entire teaching, which includes that one should not hold a grudge or seek vengeance. 

The Apostle Paul spoke on how love is the summation or fulfills the whole of the Law. 

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

As we discussed in looking at the Golden Rule, many religions include similar teachings as "love your neighbor as yourself." So what Jesus is saying was already recognized by many in the Jewish faith. In Mark's telling of the encounter between Jesus and the testing legal expert, the teacher of the law saw that Jesus had given a wise and satisfying answer to his query.

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:32-34)

So what Jesus taught was the greatest commandment was not new. It was already acknowledged as such by contemporaries in Jewish religious thought. The gospels exist for the Church primarily, to give a witness to the life, teachings, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. And so the inclusion of these Old Testament laws in the gospels make them binding for the people of the new covenant in Christ. Christians and Jews are both to love God with our entire selves and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Loving ourselves is a difficult thing. Love of self can become narcissism, an unhealthy self-focus that blinds one to the needs of others. Love of self can also be difficult for those with low self-esteem. 

Reinhold Niebuhr wrote in his book The Nature and Destiny of Man that humans sin in one of two basic ways, self-aggrandizement and self-deprecation. On the one hand we can over-value who we are and put ourselves ahead of everyone else, looking out of number one so to speak. This leads to all manner of selfish behavior. On the other hand we can think lees of ourselves than we ought, devaluing who we are, refusing to embrace our divine potential and despairing even of life itself. Suicide rates are on the rise and depression is big business in our world.

John Calvin stated in Institutes of the Christian Religion, there is no knowledge of God without a knowledge of self. And there is not true knowledge of self until one embraces the revealed knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. Only when we know ourselves as the object of divine unconditional love, can we truly know our worth. And only when we acknowledge our sinfulness and need for salvation, (a humbling experience to say the least), can we truly know ourselves in any objective way that matters. The media holds up a mirror to us in what is beautiful. If we don't measure up we feel bad about ourselves. We think we are ugly, homely or pathetic. But if we are fortunate enough to consider ourselves part of the beautiful people, then perhaps we hold others in disdain who have not reached our standards of health and beauty. It is vanity propelled by media and contemporary consumer ethos. 

Jesus told a parable to the Pharisee, Simon, who thought himself superior to the woman of ill repute weeping at Jesus' feet.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:41-47)

The woman suffered from self-deprecation, she thought less of herself because of her many failures. She had hope in divine mercy because of Jesus. In response to His love and mercy, she fell to His feet in tearful repentance. But in response to Jesus' welcome and kindness to this woman with a bad reputation among the Jews, Simon was filled with contempt for both her and Jesus. He suffered from the sin of self-aggrandizement. He thought more of himself that he ought. 

So how do we love our neighbors when we have difficulty loving ourselves? Acknowledge that you are loved unconditionally. God gave His only Son to die for you so that you might live free from shame and guilt; so that you  might be restored to God. And acknowledge that you are a work in progress. Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought, rather put the needs of others ahead of your own. (Philippians 2:3-4) Loving yourself requires a balanced understanding, where the unconditional love and mercy of God meets the ugly sinfulness of humanity in the cross of Jesus. Once you know yourself a sinner in need of salvation, and accept the free gift of eternal life through faith in Christ, you will be changed. You will be given and heart that loves like Jesus. 

And how do we love God, but through worship. Worship is not simply a one hour experience on a Sunday morning. Worship is a lifestyle choice, a vocation. To love God is to give God glory in all things! (1st Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17) Loving God is expressed in service to others. (Matthew 25:40) Loving God is expressed though giving. (Luke 21:1-4) Loving God is expressed through prayer, singing and heeding the exhortations of the Church. Loving God is obedience. (John 14:15) Loving God means committing your calendar to God's glory, committing your finances to God's mission, and committing all your resources, skills and talents toward advancing the Kingdom of God on earth.

If you will love God wholly and fully, you will know love fully and completely. And you will be empowered to love others as you know yourself loved.