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Matthew 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
c.Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
d.Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
When I was teaching Sunday School, I told the children that Jesus was the first person who really taught love. Before Jesus, people were taught civility. In other words they were taught rules and regulations that allowed them to co-exist. Jesus was the one who took all the laws and simplified them into love.
Jesus said if we learned to love God first and then love one another we would naturally be following the greatest commandments.
The commentary says this.
"The Rabbins reckoned up 613 commandments of the law; and distinguished them into the greater and the lesser. These later they thought might be neglected or violated with little or no guilt."
Perfectly understanding the essence of the law, Jesus had no difficulty answering. Instead of promoting one command over another, Jesus defined the law in its core principles: love the Lord with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself.
It is clear enough what it means to love the Lord with all we are, though it is impossible to do perfectly. But there has been much confusion about what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. This doesn't mean that we must love ourselves before we can love anyone else; it means that in the same way we take care of ourselves and are concerned about our own interests, we should take care and have concern for the interests of others.
The first and great commandment: "In respect of order, quantity, and dignity."
The first and great commandment: "In respect of order, quantity, and dignity."
Now one thing I notice about these verses every time I read them is this. Jesus said to "love your neighbor as yourself". I've noticed that loving yourself is sometimes much harder than loving your neighbor. I've known a lot of people who didn't even like themselves, let alone love themselves. Is it any wonder that people keep fighting?
Here are two exercises to get you on your way.
- List three good things about yourself.
- Look at yourself in the mirror and have a talk with yourself as if you are meeting this person for the first time.
