Matthew 22

 Matthew 22:35-40  The 3rd question comes again from the Pharisees.  The Law was everything to them and a lawyer.. an expert in Mosaic Law.. posed the question: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"  

Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." 

It was an answer that even the Law expert could not dispute.  Luke 10: 25-28  records an earlier meeting between a lawyer and Jesus.  In that account the lawyer asks this question, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus turns it back to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" The lawyer gave the same answer that Jesus just gave: "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." Jesus agreed with this, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." 

Like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Lawyers.. we can answer correctly.. but not actually "do this and.. live".   John makes it abundantly clear in his epistles that to love God is to keep His commandments..to believe in the Son.. and to love one another. ( I John 3:23)  In Luke 10 Jesus goes on to give an example of loving your neighbor with the story of the good Samaritan... to see someone... anyone in need.. to have compassion on him.. to show kindness to him that goes above and beyond expectations.  This is how you truly "love your neighbor as yourself".

Jesus doesn't give any of the 10 commandments as the greatest.. for all the commandments are covered by the two He does give.  If we love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and if we love our neighbors as ourselves we will be obeying them all. Loving God  with all our emotions, our actions, all our thinking, all our ability will enable us to reject any other gods, not have any idols, not take His name in vain, and to enter His rest ( sabbath).  Loving our neighbors means that we won't disrespect our parents, murder anyone, commit adultery, steal, lie, or lust after what is not ours. 

Yet.. we know that we do not always love God or people like we are commanded to..  We are in desperate need for the love of God to fill us. We are "poor in spirit"; in need of His mercy;  we need to be continually filled with His Spirit.  

Father, thank You for loving us.. even when we fall short of all that You desire for us.  Sanctify us, God of peace, may our hearts, souls, and minds be transformed by Your Spirit in us, that we might be like Jesus, full of love and grace.  We ask this in His name. Amen.