October 21, 2025
Two Questions - Part 2
Matthew 22:37-40
10/21/2025
37 And he said to him, ``You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and
the Prophets.'' (ESV)
On Monday of Holy Week, the week Jesus died and rose again,
He was in the Temple debating with the Sadducees and Pharisees.
A Pharisee, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question in an attempt to
catch Jesus with either a lie or a contradiction. ``Teacher,
which is the great commandment of the Law?''
And he 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 great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor
as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the
Law and the Prophets.''
Rather than list one of the 613 laws of the Jewish religion,
Jesus summarized the entire Law. We love God above all things,
we love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. The dietary
laws, the Sabbath laws, the ceremonial laws, and even the civil
laws are contained in these short words.
This was the only answer Jesus could give which would not
cause controversy and arguments. This was the only answer Jesus
could give which could destroy the evil intent of the lawyer's
question.
May our Lord grant us faith to understand the Law as being
given in love so that we may reflect God's love. Amen.