# 101 A Loaded Question About The Greatest Commandment - Matthew 22:34-40

Introduction: The religious leaders had been testing Jesus all day (Tuesday of the Passion Week of Christ). First, we saw that the Pharisees tried to trap Him with a loaded question about taxes. Then along came the Sadducees. They attempted to ridicule the resurrection with an absurd hypothetical loaded question about a woman married seven times. Jesus had silenced them both with wisdom that left the crowds amazed.

   Now, in Matthew 22:34-40, the Pharisees regroup for one more attempt with a loaded question. They send forward one of their best—a lawyer, an expert in the intricate details of Jewish law. His question seems straightforward:

   "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

   But this was no simple inquiry. The rabbis of Jesus' day had identified 613 commandments in the books of Moses — 248 positive commands and 365 prohibitions. Endless debates raged about which were "weightier" and which were "lighter." To elevate one above the others could be seen as diminishing the rest. It was a theological minefield. The Pharisees saw this as their golden opportunity to trap Jesus with His words.

   Jesus' answer would do more than escape their trap. In two sentences, He would distill the entire story of Scripture—all "the Law and the Prophets"—into a vision so clear and compelling that it still shapes how we understand God's heart two thousand years later. This wasn't just an answer to a test question. It was an invitation into the life God has always desired for humanity: wholehearted love for Him that flows into genuine love for others.

1. The Pharisees band together – 22:34

   34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

   Have you ever heard the statement, “Word gets around”?   Well, such is the case here in verse 34. Word had gotten back to the Pharisees that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees.

  You have got to love the Greek word “silenced” φιμόω (phimoō) here.  It literally means to muzzle, to put a muzzle on an animal, to make speechless, to silence, to stop the mouth.

   This same Greek word is used in 1 Peter 2:15, where we read,

   For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

   Jesus used His ability to communicate to silence the Sadducees. You and I need to use our ability to do good to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

   Jesus shut down the Sadducees, and they had nothing left to say.

2. A Lawyer asked Jesus a Question – 22:35-36

   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?”

   Then one of them

   One of the Pharisees, this individual mentioned here, was a scribe. He was an expert in Jewish religious law (the Torah and its interpretations). He was not a lawyer in the modern sense of someone who practices law in courtrooms. Rather, he was a religious scholar who specialized in studying, teaching, and interpreting the Mosaic Law.

   In the Liberty Bible Commentary I read, “Lawyer – expert expounder of the Old Testament law. Equivalent to a degree in Theology today.”

   What we have here is the second verse, a little bit louder and a little bit worse. The Pharisees banded together to try and test Jesus. They believed that the more they questioned Him, he eventually would break and say something that would trip Him up, that they could use against Him.

   Here is the way people often work. They stay polite as they begin. Notice that this lawyer calls Jesus, “Teacher.” He is being polite. Polite for a purpose – he was trying to trap Jesus in the words that He uses.

   The question that he asks focus on what is the greatest commandment in the law? He asks,

   36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

3. Jesus Provided the Lawyer an Answer – 22:37-40

   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.”

A. Jesus shares the most important Commandment – 22:37

    37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

  Unlike the Pharisees and the Sadducees, Jesus KNEW the Scripture. He also knew how to answer their question with Scripture. Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5, a verse that every Jew commits to memory and says every day as a prayer. Jewish children begin memorizing this verse at about age 3-5, and have it fully memorized by age 13. Parents will pray this with their children every morning and evening. It is called the Shema. Jews repeat this confession every day: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

   What did the Shema mean to the Jew? It meant that God was to have your whole person – your entire being:

· He was to have all your Heart – the heart is the essence of who you are as a human being. Your heart is where your treasures lie.  

· He was to have all your Soul – the soul is the seat of your emotions, your will, and your volition.

   Now, I want you to notice that Jesus told the scribe that you are to love God with all your “mind”, whereas in Deuteronomy 6:5 verse tells us that we are to love God with all our “strength.” What's up with these two different words?

   I have read that the Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 6:5 translated as "strength" is me'od (מְאֹד). Scholars say that this is an unusual word choice because me'od typically means "very" or "exceedingly" - it's an intensifier, not normally a noun. So, the literal sense is something like "with all your muchness" or "with all your exceedingness" - meaning with everything you've got, to the fullest extent possible.

   Now, why then did Jesus in the Gospels use the word "mind"?

   It appears that when Deuteronomy 6:5 was translated into Greek (the Septuagint), the translators had to interpret what this comprehensive “me'od” meant in practice. They understood it to encompass multiple dimensions of human capacity, including:

· Physical Strength - Your bodily energy, health, and vitality. Using your hands, skills, and endurance in service to God.

· Mental Capacity - Your intellect, focus, creativity, and problem-solving. Loving God with your thoughts, attention, and understanding.

· Material Resources - Your money, possessions, home, tools, and opportunities. Loving God through how you manage and share what you own.

· Time and Effort - The hours, days, and seasons of your life. Devoting your schedule and priorities to God’s purposes.

· Relationships and Influence - Family, friends, coworkers, and community. Using your influence, words, and example to honor God.

· Emotional Passion - Your enthusiasm, joy, zeal, and affection. Pouring out your emotions in worship and faithfulness.

   To love God with all your me’od means to love Him with your "very much-ness" — every ounce of energy, every resource, every influence, every part of your life. It’s a call to hold nothing back.

   Now, it is believed that because Jesus was speaking to these Greek-influenced people that He was unpacking what that all-encompassing “me'od” entailed. He was not changing the command - He's clarifying that total devotion includes your intellectual faculties as well as your physical strength and resources.

   Jesus understood that the greatest commandment meant that God was to have our ALL – nothing held back.

   Don’t miss what Jesus states in verse 38,

    “This is the first and great commandment.”

   Jesus is making sure that this lawyer knows that this is to be the first commandment with priority and weight. Everything about life is found in this verse.

   It has been said that “Love for God is the foundation of all true obedience.”

B. Jesus shares the second most important Commandment – 22:39

   39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

   Jesus provides a second answer for this scribe that he wasn’t expecting. Jesus talks to him about the second greatest commandment.

   Jesus is quoting Leviticus 19:18. Jesus elevates love for neighbor to a parallel position of loving God. The word “like” tells us that they are inseparably connected.

   What does it mean to “love your neighbor?” The best way I heard it described is, “to seek another person’s good, even at a cost to yourself.”

   Loving a neighbor is practical. We don’t have to make it hard. It means:

· To think the best of others.

· Speak kindly and build others up (Ephesians 4:15).

· Help others when you possibly can. Lend a hand (James 2:15-16).

· Be trustworthy and reliable.

· Overlook weaknesses in others.

· Being quick to forgive offenses (Colossians 3:13).

· Bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).

   Notice too that we are to love our neighbor “as yourself.” What does that mean? It assumes that you naturally care for your own well-being – that you feed yourself when you are hungry, that you rest when you are tired, that you protect yourself from harm, that you forgive your own mistakes, and that you want good things for your life.

   We are to extend that same care, concern, and dignity to others.

Right with God = Right with Man

   We are right with God when we love Him with all that we are, and we are right with others when we love them as we love ourselves. If we fail to love our neighbor, we are not truly right with God. And apart from loving God with our whole heart, soul, and mind, we cannot genuinely love our neighbor as ourselves.

4. Jesus makes a profound statement – 22:40

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

   On these two commandments…

   Jesus is saying that the entire Old Testament (the Law = first five books of Moses, the Prophets = rest of the Old Testament writings) is summed up in these two commands. Look at the words,

   Hang all the Law and the Prophets.

   Underline the word “hang.” The Greek verb (κρέμανται) (Krem-an’-noo-mee) suggests that all other laws depend on or are suspended from these. Isn’t that great?

   I would dare to say that we cannot fulfill any other command found in the Bible unless we are loving God and loving our neighbor.

   One author penned, ‘If you don’t love God, obedience turns to legalism. If you don’t love people, your “obedience” is hypocritical.”

   Worship, obedience, service, unity, witnessing, forgiveness, and holiness all collapse if love for God and others isn’t the foundation.

Conclusion: Verse 40 seems to be very abrupt. It’s an odd place to stop the storyline. What I discovered is that what Matthew leaves out, Mark inserts. Yes, the rest of the story (as Paul Harvey would say) is found in Mark 12:32-34. We read,

   32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.

   So, what moves a person from “not being far from the kingdom of God?” One word: Faith. You must move from mere head knowledge about Jesus to a possessive heart knowledge of Jesus (18 inches). It’s not enough to know the truth; you must allow truth to penetrate your life.

   So, what is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT?

1. Love God with your everything.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

   I would close by saying, “Make sure that you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.”