Matthew 22:34-40

Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25-37

Introduction

There are Several Really Important Words in the Scriptures

If I Asked You to Choose a Word…

That Best Summarizes or Plays a Major Role…

In the Grand Narrative of Scripture…

What Word would You Choose?

We could Probably Think of Several Off the Top of Our Heads

We Might Think of Words Like:

Sin, Redemption, Salvation, Grace, Faith, Repentance

But, in Our Text…

I Believe Jesus Makes a Pretty Solid Case…

That the Most Important Word/Concept/Principle…

In the Scriptures is:

“Love”

Matthew 22:34-40

We’re on Tuesday of the Last Week of Jesus’ Mortal Life

We’ve Been Looking at Jewish Leaders…

Approaching Jesus in Order to Test Him

Their Goal is to Trap Him in His Words…

In Order to Get Him in Trouble or Ruin His Reputation

1st, He was Approached with a Political Question…

By Students of the Pharisees & Herodians

Then He was Approached with a Religious Question…

By the Sadducees

Now, He’s Going to Be Approached with a Legal Question…

By a Pharisee Whose an Expert in the Law

Matthew 22:34–36 (LSB)

34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 And one of them, a scholar of the Law, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

Jesus has Already Dealt with Students of the Pharisees

But Now He’s Dealing with a Scholar

This Guy is an Expert When it Comes to the Law of Moses

He Asks Jesus:

“Which is the Greatest/Most Important Commandment in the Law?”

Matthew Tells Us this Scholar is “Testing” Jesus

That Tells Us that this Question is a Trap

But How could this Question Trap Jesus?

This Question was a Bit of a Hot Topic in/around Jesus’ Day

Rabbis would Often Debate/Discuss this Question

There’s a Quote from the Talmud…

(Written Collection of Early Jewish Tradition)…

That Shows They were Essentially Asking this Same Question:

“What short text is there upon which all the essentials of the Torah depend?”

They Wanted a Short Passage…

That could Summarize/Encapsulate…

The Main Idea of the Law

When You’re Dealing with 613 Laws…

That would Be a Pretty Handy Passage to Know

In the Talmud, They Go on to Answer that Question with:

Proverbs 3:6 (NASB95)

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Now this Legal Scholar is Asking Jesus this Same Question…

In Order to Trap Him

Because, Whatever Answer Jesus Gives…

He’ll Be Disagreeing with/Upsetting Someone

But, as Much of a Scholar & Expert in the Law this Guy May Be…

He’s Still No Match for Jesus

Matthew 22:37–40 (NET)

37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

“What is the Greatest/Most Important Commandment?”

Jesus Answered with the “Shema” from Deuteronomy 6

“Shema” is Hebrew for “Hear”

(That’s the 1st Word in the Shema)

Mark Tells Us that Jesus Quoted the 1st Part of the “Shema”:

Mark 12:29–30 (ESV)

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

To Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, & Mind…

Is to Love God with Everything You Are/Have

To Be Wholeheartedly Devoted to Him…

With Every Aspect of Your Being

According to Jesus…

This is the Greatest/Most Important Command

But Jesus wasn’t Done with His Answer

He Gives a 2nd Commandment that’s “Like” the 1st

“Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”

Whenever the Israelite People Received this Command in Leviticus 19:18…

They Probably Believed that “Neighbor” Referred to Their Own People

But Jesus Taught that it was Intended to Mean Much More

In a Similar Conversation with Another Expert of the Law…

Jesus was Asked, “Who is My Neighbor?”

Jesus Answered By Telling the Story of the Good Samaritan

"Who is My Neighbor?”

Jesus Says, “Anyone & Everyone”

In the Sermon on the Mount…

He Even Extends that to Our Enemies

Matthew 5:43–48 (NASB95)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We‘re Commanded to Love…

Not Just Our Family, Friends, or Those Like Us

We’re to Love Even Those Who are Hardest to Love

Those Who Despise/Mock/Mistreat/Hate Us

But We aren’t Just Told to Love Our Neighbor

We’re Told to Love Them “as We Love Ourselves”

Did You Know that God Never Told Us to Love Ourselves?

Why Do You Think that is?

Because He Didn’t Need to

We Just Do it Naturally

In What Ways Do We Love Ourselves?

When I’m Hungry, I Feed Me

When I’m Thirsty, I Give Me a Drink

When I’m Naked, I Clothe Me

When I’m Sad, I Try to Comfort Me

When I’m in Need, I Do Everything in My Power to Help Me

I Care for My Own Well-Being

I Put Up a Great Amount of Effort to Take Care of Myself

Loving Ourselves Just Comes Naturally

But What Doesn’t Come Naturally…

Is Loving Others in that Same Way

James Refers to this 2nd Greatest Command as:

The “Royal Law”

Or “The Law of Our King”

Not Only Does Our King Demand this of His Citizens…

But He was/is the Perfect Embodiment of it Himself

Another Way to Say:

“Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”…

Is to Say What Jesus Said in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 7:12 (NASB95)

12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

“For this is the Law & the Prophets”

That Sounds Strangely Similar the Last Thing Jesus Said in Our Text:

Matthew 22:40 (LSB)

40 “On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

What Does Jesus Mean By:

“All the Law & the Prophets Depend/‘Hang’ on These 2 Commandments”

Like a Door Hangs on Hinges…

The Law & Prophets (All the OT)…

Hang on the Commands to Love God & Love Others

A Door is Worthless Without its Hinges

The Law & Prophets are Worthless…

If They are Not Obeyed Out of Love

Without Love for God & Neighbor…

You Can’t Obey the Law & Prophets…

The Way God Intended

To Love Your Neighbor as Much as You Love Yourself…

Means that You Desire & are Committed to Do for Them…

What the Law Requires You to Do for Them

Paul Put it this Way:

Romans 13:8–10 (NLT)

8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

When You Love Your Neighbor…

You’ll Never Seek to Wrong Them in Any Way

Obedience to the Law…

Naturally Flows from Our Love for Others

And to Love God with Everything You are/have…

Means that You Desire & are Committed to Do…

All that God Demands You to Do in the Law

When Your Ultimate Allegiance/Loyalty/Commitment/Devotion…

Belongs to God…

Obedience to His Laws/Commands…

Will Be the Natural Result of that Love

Love is the Greatest Command…

Because Love is the Fulfillment of the Law

Matthew Ends this Passage with Jesus Answering the Scholar…

But in Mark, the Conversation Continues:

Mark 12:32–34 (CSB)

32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him. 33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer.

This Scholar Said Something Really Extreme…

And Jesus Agrees with Him:

“To Love God & Neighbor…”

“Is Far More Important than All the Burnt Offerings & Sacrifices”

This Principle is Found Throughout the OT Scriptures

One Example is Hosea 6:6:

Hosea 6:6 (CSB)

6 For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

I Also Like the Way the NLT Puts it:

Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

What this Scholar Just Said to Jesus…

Gets to the Heart of What the OT Law was All about:

God Wants Us to Love Him:

Be Devoted/Committed/Loyal/Faithful to Him

God Wants Us to Love Each Other:

Care for, Serve, & Be Devoted to the Welfare of Others

This is What Every Law…

And Every Teaching from the Prophets…

Is Pointing Us Toward

It’s Not about the Sacrifices, Offerings, Rituals

It’s Not about:

Being a Daily Bible Reader

Praying 20 Times a Day

Assembling Every Time the Doors are Open

Doing Great Acts of Service

Making Great Sacrifices for the Kingdom

God Cares about These Things…

But His True Desire is for Something Deeper

God Doesn’t Just Desire the “What”

He Desires the “Why”

He Wants a People Who are Devoted to Him…

With All Their Heart, Soul, and Mind

He Wants a People Who are Committed…

To the Well-Being of Their Neighbor

He Wants a People Who…

Recognize & Accept His Amazing Grace…

And are Totally Transformed…

By the Outpouring of His Love Through the Gospel

God Doesn’t Just Want Our Obedience

He Wants Our Love/Devotion that Results in Our Obedience

The Scholar Acknowledges that Jesus Got it Exactly Right

“You’re Right!”

“The Most Important Commands…”

“Are to Love God & Love Your Neighbor”

“This is Ultimately What God Wants from His People”

I Absolutely Love How Jesus Responds to Him

“You are Not Far from the Kingdom of God”

This Man is So Close to Seeing…

What God’s Reign/Rule is All About

Application

If Someone Were to Ask You:

“What is Being a Christian/Kingdom Citizen All About?”

The Answer is: “Love”

It’s About Loving God with All We’ve Got…

And Loving Our Neighbor as Ourselves

That is Our Mission

That is Our Calling

That is Jesus, Our King

Do You Notice How the Scholar Asked Jesus…

For the Greatest/Most Important Command…

But Instead of Giving One…

Jesus Gave 2?

Like the 10 Commandments…

Jesus Said the Greatest/Most Important Command…

Includes Both Love for God & Others

The Temptation is to Focus on Either:

Loving God:

Worshiping/Serving/Obeying Him

Living Holy & Separate From Sin

Or Loving Neighbor:

Serving Them

Treating Them with Kindness/Compassion

The Temptation is to Emphasize One Over the Other

But Jesus Said:

The Law & Prophets Hang on “Both of These Commands”

It’s Not Enough to Focus Only on Loving God

We Must Equally Emphasize Loving Our Neighbor

It’s Not Enough to Focus Only on Loving Our Neighbor

We Must Equally Emphasize Loving God

We’ve Got to Strive to Strike the Balance…

Of Loving/Serving God & Loving/Serving Others

Sometimes I’m Afraid Churches of Christ…

Are Guilty of Emphasizing Love for God Over Love for Neighbor

But John Teaches Us that isn’t Possible

If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor…

Then You Don’t Love God

1 John 4:20–21 (NET)

20 If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.21 And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.

Love for God & Love for Others Goes Hand in Hand

You Can’t have One Without the Other

Love is the Greatest Command

Above All Else, God Wants Us to Be:

Whole-Heartedly Devoted to Him

AND

Committed to the Care/Well-Being of Others

Through Jesus, God has…

Shown Us What Love is

And Given Us Every Reason to Reciprocate that Love…

To Him & to Everyone Else

1 John 4:19 (NET)

19 We love because he loved us first.