A profound question was posed to Jesus by a Pharisee, a legal expert seeking to test Him. The inquiry: which is the greatest commandment? Jesus’s response, recorded in Matthew 22:37-40, offers a timeless perspective on divine priorities and human relationships: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” This answer encapsulates the essence of biblical law and offers insight into a life of faith.
The Two Pillars of Faith: Loving God and Neighbor
Jesus’s answer elegantly simplifies the vast body of laws and commands within Scripture, boiling them down to two fundamental principles: love for God and love for neighbor. The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, illustrate this relationship, beginning with our duties to God and then extending to our interactions with others. These two are intrinsically linked; a proper relationship with God forms the foundation for healthy relationships with those around us.
Jesus Christ, the epitome of love, taught that the greatest commandment is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
The world’s problems are, at their root, a result of humanity’s broken relationship with God. Without first loving God wholeheartedly – with every aspect of our being – truly loving our neighbor becomes an unattainable ideal. Efforts towards world peace, devoid of a foundation in love for God, are destined to fall short. When another Pharisee questioned Jesus about inheriting eternal life, His response mirrored this emphasis on these two commandments (Luke 10:25-37). While seemingly simple, truly living according to these commands is far more challenging than simply stating adherence to them. This reality leads many to attempt to “justify” themselves.
Beyond Outward Observance: The Heart of the Law
Jesus’s response served as a powerful message, not only to the Pharisees of His time but also to any who attempt to measure righteousness based on outward conformity to rules and regulations. It critiques the tendency to focus on external actions while neglecting the inner state of the heart.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time, and their modern counterparts, often create complex systems of rules, while simultaneously failing to uphold the very commandments they claim to represent. They meticulously “clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25-26). True obedience stems from a transformed heart, not merely adherence to a list of rules.
The Impossibility of Perfection and the Grace of God
Considering Jesus’s words and the essence of Scripture summarized in these two commandments reveals the inherent impossibility of perfectly fulfilling God’s law. The sheer weight of this realization underscores our inability to achieve righteousness on our own merit. It points us to our only hope: God’s grace, which “justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5). The law, which we inevitably break, “brings about wrath” (Romans 4:15). However, God offers a solution: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ symbolizes God’s ultimate expression of love for humanity, providing a path to redemption and forgiveness.
While we will never perfectly keep God’s commandments through our own effort, Jesus Christ did. Through His sacrificial death, our sins are transferred to Him, and His righteousness is transferred to us (Romans 4-5). This is why “if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). The gospel of Christ “is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes,” for “the righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17).
Living the Greatest Commandment Today
Because Jesus provided such a clear answer, we don’t need to guess or search for the answer ourselves. The question remains: Do we truly live according to these commandments? Do we genuinely love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and do we honestly love our neighbor as ourselves? If we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is likely “no.” But the good news is that the law and commandments were given to guide us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). Only by acknowledging our sinfulness and hopelessness can we turn to Christ as our sole hope for salvation.
Demonstrating love to your neighbor can take many forms, from acts of kindness to simply being present and supportive in their time of need.
As Christians, we strive to love God with every aspect of our being. As our hearts and minds are transformed by the Holy Spirit, we begin to love others as ourselves. Yet we still fail, driving us back to the cross and the hope of salvation through Christ’s righteousness, not our own merit. The greatest commandment is not a burden but an invitation to a life of love, faith, and continuous reliance on God’s grace.
Further Exploration
- God in His Own Image: Loving God For Who He Is… Not Who You Want Him to Be by Syd Brestel
- Explore the Bible with Logos Bible Software for Free!
Related Questions
- Are Christians required to follow Old Testament law?
- Who is my neighbor, according to the Bible?
- What is the meaning of loving your neighbor as yourself?
- What constitutes taking the Lord’s name in vain?
- What is the new commandment Jesus gave?
Return to: Questions about Matthew
