The Greatest Command

Introduction

Text Matt 22:34-40

Matthew 22:34–40 ESV

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in 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.”

This year we have been intentional, by focusing on our theme Revive , Renew, Restore. Our Current Sermon series, order in the house in the house, has been in that vein. As we try to be the church that God would have us to be.

As we continue you this journey I want us to take a brief detour. to due some maintenance. When you are taking a long roadtrip trying to get to a destination. It is not enough just to know your destination get in the car and start driving . You must do what is called a pre trip. A pre trip is a checklist of things necessary to make sure the vehicle has the ability to male the destination safely. Thngs like:

Check tire presure and tread

Make sure there is fuel in the car

make sure that your oil, and other fluids to make sure they are where they need to be

Make sure your brakes and lights are working properly

all these things are important.

You have to make sure you have enough money to get there

You cant just get up and go you have to be prepared.

This is not just good practice for car travel, but spiritual travel as well.

As a matter of fact jesus talks about this principle in:

Luke 14 When he talks about the cost of discipleship. That you cannot just follow him you must consider what it takes .

Luke 14:25–33 “25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

On this trip we are taking we need to make sure we know what it takes.

That leads us to our text for consideration this morning Matt 22:34-40 where we will labor under the title The Greatest Command .

Text intro

In the verses prior Jesus had just shut up the sadducees after they tried to trap Jesus with there questioning about the resurrection. However after there failure the Pharisees tried to give it a go.

The Situation

In Matthew 22:34–40, a religious expert (a Pharisee) asks Jesus:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Why It Was a Trap

This question wasn’t innocent—it was a test to trap Jesus. Here’s why:

1. There were 613 laws in the law of Moses

The Jewish religious leaders had counted 613 commands in the Old Testament. There was an ongoing debate among the jewish leaders about the greatest/most important law.

Some said sacrifices were most important, others said Sabbath laws, others said cerimonies etc —they argued about it all the time.

If Jesus had picked one command, they could:

Accuse Him of disrespecting the others

Stir up anger from the group that disagreed

Claim He was changing God’s law

2. They wanted to trap Him publicly

This was a public question. If Jesus gave the "wrong" answer (in their eyes), they could:

Discredit Him in front of the crowd

Say He was against Moses' law

Turn the people against Him

3. They were looking for any reason to kill Him

This happened just days before His crucifixion. The leaders were trying to find a reason to arrest or destroy Him. Trapping Him with His words was one of their favorite tactics (see also Matthew 22:15).

However I want us to focus on Jesus’ Brilliant Answer

Because many in the church like to argue about what the most important command is in the church.

Here jesus Instead of picking a minor law, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18—commands all Jews respected:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind... and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Then He says:

“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two.”

Translation: In other words - Every law you care about depends on these two—so there’s no conflict

They asked the question to trap Him—hoping He’d pick the “wrong” law and cause division. But Jesus’ answer united the entire law under love, silenced the trap, and exposed their own lack of love.

Application

“Love God”

If you love God you will do what he says

Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. John 14:15

I want to be clear here. It is not the ceremonial command keeping that shows you love God, We take this out of context. We misundestand the point he is trying make.

HE is not saying commannd keeping =Love

He is saying IF you love him one of the demonstrations of that love is keeping his commansnds. Because your reason for keeping that command is your love.

You see I can keep a command without love

But i cant love without keeping his commands

That why we need to stop teaching people to keep commands

instead teach them to love God, to love jesus and they will keep his commands

The reason we have many of the issues that we have in the church is because we have command's keepers instead of God lovers.

Thats why jesus said in Matthew 15:9 “9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ””

That why you people in the church not functioning the way there not supposed to because they are npt doing it for the love God.

That why you have people:

Showing up to church once a week, Because you taught them to keep commands. News flash the bible does not command Sunday night, Wednesday night gospel meeting, laddies day. Mens days. teach em to love God

Elders and deacons not serving the way they should. Because you so worried about the command to have elders to scriptual orginized that you put any ole Tom, dick or harry in the office and wonder why the church is not growing. Because you got command keepers and not God lovers

Understand this it does not take long to see which command keepers, are God lovers or are just coffins filled with dead bones and dead faith.

and other thing, the reason we have this comparative christianity, is because we focas on who keeps the most commnads in stead of who love christains. we got people walkinking around with there heads inflated because of their command keeping looking down on there fellow brother and sister with a false sense of security not realizinf that. your righetones and slavation is not based on your command keeping but your Love for GOD.

Application: Love Yourself

Now let’s talk about the second part of Jesus’ answer:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

But you can’t love anybody else until you learn how to love yourself.

Now before you say amen—let me explain.

I’m not talking about pride, or ego, or self-glory. I’m not talking about loving your flesh. I’m talking about loving your soul.

Loving yourself means doing what’s best for your soul.

What’s good for your flesh might feel great today—but destroy you tomorrow. What’s good for your soul might hurt in the moment—but heal you for eternity.

We are living sacrifices. And sometimes loving yourself means denying yourself.

It means saying:

“I won’t go back to that relationship—because I love my soul too much.”

“I’m going to worship, study, and grow—not because someone’s forcing me, but because I value the me that God is building.”

“I won’t indulge in what feels good if it puts my soul in jeopardy.”

That’s real self-love.

Self-Love Is the Foundation of Neighbor-Love

If you don’t love yourself biblically:

You’ll project your pain onto others.

You’ll judge others to feel better about your brokenness.

You’ll offer them bitterness instead of love.

That’s why Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Because if you hate you, it’s only a matter of time before you hate others.

Closing Thought: Let Love Lead

So before you leave here today, check your love:

Do you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind?

Do you love your neighbor like yourself?

Do you even love yourself enough to feed your soul more than your flesh?

Because the whole law—everything we believe, everything we do—hangs on love.

Invitation

If you’ve been living as a command-keeper but not a God-lover—it’s time to repent. If you’ve been neglecting your soul—it’s time to start loving yourself the right way. If your love has grown cold—it’s time to let God revive, renew, and restore your heart.

The greatest command is not complicated—but it is costly.

Love God. Love your neighbor. Love your soul