Matthew 22:34–40

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Commentary

Vs. 34-38 ³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.

The Pharisees having heard that the Lord Jesus had silenced the Sadducees now gather together, and so this time its not their young disciples and Herodians that they send to Jesus, but they themselves come to Him, and in this one of them a lawyer (that is an expert in the Law of God) seeking to test the Lord Jesus now asks Him what is the greatest commandment in the Law. Now it responding to this the Lord Jesus Christ first cites Deuteronomy 6:5 which Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Thus, loving our Lord God first and foremost is the whole duty of mankind. Now with all of one’s heart means with all of one’s emotions and desires, for that is where true and passionate worship of the Lord God is born and magnified, from within. While with all of one’s soul means with all of ones will, for being fully willing to do God’s will above one’s own (or someone else’s) is truly loving God. While with all of one’s mind means not only sanctifying one’s thoughts to the Lord (consider Rom 12:2; Phil. 4:8-9; 1Tim 4:15), but also casting down arguments and every high thing which exalts itself against the true knowledge of God, for our battle with sin and evil begins there (see 2 Cor 10:4-6). And so that is the essence of the first and greatest commandment in loving God with all of one’s heart, soul and mind.

Vs. 39-40 ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Having declared that to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind is the first and the greatest commandment, the Lord Jesus Christ now also says: ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” ^{vs. 39-40} Therefore, in answering this pivotal question, the Lord Jesus does not forget nor neglect our duty to our fellow man. Instead He now cites Leviticus 19:18 in which it states: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Thus, making loving God with all of one’s heart, soul, and mind and one’s neighbor as oneself the essence of the Law of God and the Prophets. For as the Lord Jesus says all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Something which the Pharisees had totally lost sight of with their emphasis on keeping the traditions of the elders, which only led to their being not only out of touch with both the Word and Will of God, but also blind to Him.

Scripture Quotations: 

The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.