”37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40New International Version (NIV)
Matthew 22:37-40 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
Love the Lord your God with everything, and your neighbor as yourself
Matthew 22:37-40, which I have themed “Love the Lord your God with everything, and your neighbor as yourself“, is a record of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. When Jesus replied to them with the words of these verses, one of the Pharisees wanted to test Him on the greatest commandment in the Law. This is because the Pharisees had planned to trap Him in His words (Matthew 22:15).
Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem
After Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He drove out the buyers and sellers from the temple courts and healed the blind and the lame that went to Him (Matthew 21:12-14). The chief priests and the law teachers then got angry and questioned the authority by which He had done what He did (Matthew 21:15). Jesus referred them to Scripture and went out of the city to Bethany where He spent the night (Matthew 21:16-17).
The following day, Jesus made His way to the temple courts where He taught the people. While He was teaching, the chief priests and elders asked Him about the authority by which He was teaching and performing miracles (Matthew 21:23).
Jesus, therefore, asked them about the origin of John’s baptism as a condition for answering them (Matthew 21:24-26). And because they didn’t answer Him, Jesus too didn’t answer them (Matthew 21:27).
He also proceeded to tell them three (3) parables (Matthew 21:28-22:14). In His parables, Jesus informed them that their unbelief and disobedience had locked them out of the kingdom of God. But the belief and obedience of the sinners had granted them entry into God’s kingdom. The Pharisees, consequently, went away and planned to trap Him in His words.
The Pharisees sent their disciples and the Herodians to trap Jesus in His words
They, therefore, sent their disciples and the Herodians to ask Him about the payment of taxes (Matthew 22:15-22). But Jesus answered them in an amazing way and they left Him alone.
The Sadducees also asked Him about death and marriage at the resurrection, which they claimed does not exist (Matthew 22:23-33). Jesus told them that at the resurrection there would be no marriage.
The Greatest Commandment in the Law
When the Pharisees saw that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, one of them tested Him on the greatest commandment in the Law (Matthew 22:34-36). He told them that the first and greatest commandment is: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’, and the second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37-39).
The Lord Jesus then finalized His response by stating and thus confirming that “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40). That is, the whole of the Old Testament is summarised in these two commandments. And this is the reason why they are the greatest commandments.
Love the Lord your God
You are, therefore, to love the Lord your God with the whole of your life and being. That is, you are to be completely committed to God and depend on Him alone.
Your choices should, therefore, serve God and His kingdom (Mathew 6:33). Nothing should take away your allegiance to God.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Deuteronomy 6:5, found in the Old Testament of the Bible, which reads: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” is reflected in the message of Jesus. He actually quoted the same in His response to the Pharisees.
Leviticus 19:18
In addition, Jesus also quoted from Leviticus 19:18 which says: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” And this command is similar to the command in Matthew 7:12, which reads: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”.
This is the golden rule in Scripture, which means that you will put aside any selfishness and you will stop putting yourself and your needs before others. When you, therefore, love your neighbor as yourself, their needs and concerns become just as important as your own. And you can’t love your neighbor if you don’t love God because love comes from God (1 John 4:7 and 5:2).
The greatest commandments and God’s covenant with Israel and universal morality
The greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-40) are the foundation of God’s covenant with Israel and universal morality. They are, therefore, the ethical pinnacle of human behavior.
It is important for you to note that you can’t love God if you don’t love your neighbor (1 John 4:20). So the two commandments go hand in hand and actually summarise the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). And when you manifest them, you fulfill the law (Romans 13:8-10). Because the law is one piece, when you break one part of the law, you are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:8-10).
Prayer/Blessing
Lord Jesus, Your command in Matthew 22:37-40 reminds me that love is the core of my Christianity. So, help me to love You and my neighbors as You expect.
This is my humble prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
1 Chronicles 21-23 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
