Keeping the Two Greatest Commandments

Bible Reading: Matthew 22:34-40  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.  (35)  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  (36)  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  (37)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Text: Matthew 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This lawyer was called by Mark “a scribe” in Mark 12:28  And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? Such were teachers and expounders of the Mosaic Law (Law of Moses).

This man was put forth by the Pharisees as an expert with the hopes that he would not be easily confused by Jesus as the Sadducees apparently had. Matthew 22:34  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. “Wow, if this Jesus can answer questions so thoroughly that they run out of excuses for questioning Him, let me go hear Him too!”

By tempting Jesus, they were trying Him; putting Him to the test. On the lawyer’s part , this may or may not have been altogether maliciously, but maybe it was also from curiosity, and partly from a desire to hear Christ’s opinion on a much disputed point…Matthew 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

It seems that Christ was pleased with this man personally, for he said to him, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” Those who put this lawyer forward probably had sinister motives, but the man himself seems to have been straightforward and honest.

Giving Others a Chance

One of our initial motivations for getting saved is so that, rather than inheriting eternal damnation, we inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ. This is a good starting point, but from there we tend not to think of anyone else other than ourselves…Our salvation…Our walk with God…Our blessings.

When is the last time you gave someone a chance to also hear the Gospel, either by explaining it to them, or at least inviting them to the house of God where they can also hear the Gospel and how to get saved?

What Jesus explains here as the two greatest commandments are not even written in the 10 Commandments at all…not in this way. This is because Jesus is explaining the spirit of the commandments of God.

This is How Churches Grow

The proper way of looking at “our church” is that “our church is this part of the kingdom of God, not the whole kingdom of God”. That takes the focus off of us and puts it on God and on other people…those we are supposed to be loving more than we love ourselves.

Dying to Ourselves

True salvation is not just adding Jesus into our lives. It is dying on the cross with Him, and taking His resurrected eternal life with us, and leaving our old lives hanging on the cross!

The only person who can give eternal life is the One who already has it and is therefore able to give it! Only God in His goodness and grace possessed the willingness and the ability to leave Heaven, endure Hell, and to do it for His enemies.         

We do not even possess the willingness or ability to do this for someone because 1) we had no Heaven to leave and 2) we probably wouldn’t do it if we did. We may say that we would, but that’s only because we know that we don’t have to actually carry it out.

Romans 5:7-8  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  (8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Let us remember that, while we’re striving to keep God’s written commandments, there are two commandments that encapsulate all of God’s commandments…love God and love others!

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