| Remarks on Righteousness |
| The Words of Jesus |
| The Greatest Commandments |
Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered
together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Jesus 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 first and great commandment. And the second is
like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the
Law and the Prophets."
The Jews had argued for centuries over the most important commandment in the Law. Was it
one of the Ten Commandments? or, was it some other command? The Pharisees figured
they could get Jesus in trouble no matter what answer He gave.
But, Jesus' answer was one that they could not argue with. It encompassed every command
that was to be found in the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets.
If they would love the Lord God, with everything that that included, and if they would love their
neighbor as themselves, with everything that that included, they would keep every
commandment of the Law and of the Prophets.
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are
not burdensome." [1 John 5:3]
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." [John 14:15]
Everything that we are to do in service to God is summed up in these two commandments.
We do what we do out of love: an all-consuming love, a pure love. Love is our motive.
"We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother,
he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
whom he has not seen?" [John 4:19,20]
The question is: Do you love God? Do you love your brother?
"So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build
you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." [Acts 20:32]
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered
together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Jesus 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 first and great commandment. And the second is
like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the
Law and the Prophets."
The Jews had argued for centuries over the most important commandment in the Law. Was it
one of the Ten Commandments? or, was it some other command? The Pharisees figured
they could get Jesus in trouble no matter what answer He gave.
But, Jesus' answer was one that they could not argue with. It encompassed every command
that was to be found in the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets.
If they would love the Lord God, with everything that that included, and if they would love their
neighbor as themselves, with everything that that included, they would keep every
commandment of the Law and of the Prophets.
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are
not burdensome." [1 John 5:3]
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." [John 14:15]
Everything that we are to do in service to God is summed up in these two commandments.
We do what we do out of love: an all-consuming love, a pure love. Love is our motive.
"We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother,
he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
whom he has not seen?" [John 4:19,20]
The question is: Do you love God? Do you love your brother?
"So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build
you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." [Acts 20:32]
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