The Greatest Commandment

Trinity XXII --- October 23, 2005

Matthew 22:34-46

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our text opens with these words. Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

To understand what is going on, we need to go back to last week’s Gospel lesson, for that is the beginning of this section of questions by the Jewish leaders. That text began, Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Jesus in His words. They asked Jesus about taxes, as we heard last week. He answered them so well, they were amazed and went away.

But, that was only the beginning. It is amazing the hatred the leaders of the church in that day had toward Jesus. While the Pharisees had been stumped, there were still others available, so, the Sadducees came forward. Verse 15 of this 22nd chapter of Matthew continues to explain what happened. That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

Of course, Jesus silenced them too. Just before our text, Matthew concludes that questioning of Jesus by explaining the response. When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

That brings us to our text, and so the Pharisees tried another tact, they were going to bring in an expert, one of the elite, the creme-de-la-creme, the wisest of the wise, surely He can ask a question whereby we can trap Jesus. So they asked Him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus answered them, “‘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.”

The Pharisees had to gather together and talk about this. It was the correct answer, but they wanted to test Jesus, so they had to put their heads together and bring up a following question. They were trying to make Him look bad, only it wasn’t working.

Jesus, however, wanted to make a greater point. So Jesus asks them who the Christ is? They respond that He is the Son of David. Jesus explains some things from Psalms, that David Himself called the Christ “Lord”, and then presses the point by asking, “If then David calls Him Lord, how can He be His Son?”

Of course, the Pharisees have no answer. Or is it because they didn’t want to answer. Whatever, from that day on, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

So, which is the greatest commandment in the Law.

The Pharisees were worried about the Law. They pointed to themselves, and they loved to look around at other people. They saw themselves as obedient and loving to God, but all their heart, and all their soul, and all their mind was not completely loving toward God. Instead, they believed they were keeping God’s commandments by doing what He wanted, but they had forgotten love.

Love of neighbor as yourself is the second greatest commandment. Of course, the Pharisees never outwardly stole, or murdered, or did anything against the outward appearance of the law. But again, Jesus’ response cut to the heart of the matter and proclaimed that love was the heart of keeping the second table of the law.

In our text from Leviticus, we hear the Lord speaking to Moses, and He is addressing specifically the problems that Jesus is alluding to in His response to the Pharisees. The Pharisees had developed partiality - judging people according to their wealth, and making friends with only who they would claim were the “best” of people. Their focus upon people was based upon outward appearances, not upon love.

While the Pharisees didn’t murder, they slandered one another - thinking themselves better than other people. They were the ones who sat in the temple looking around to see who was there, how they were dressed, and how they were acting. Jesus’ point is that they were more concerned about others and that they looked good - rather than loving all. And, they certainly they weren’t focused upon God.

Hating in the heart and seeking revenge or bearing a grudge against others was certainly not a way to love our neighbor.

When we look at the Pharisees’ understanding, they wanted to see the Law. They wanted the Law held before their eyes. It was their hope - their hope and confidence was upon the fact that they had kept the Law. Throughout His entire earthly life, Jesus had pointed out to them that they hadn’t kept it, at least not as God required them to keep it. “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, as if He didn’t understand the Law.

Did Jesus understand the Law? Perfectly! He understood it to a ‘t’. He knew the weaknesses of human flesh, and that nobody, including the Pharisees could keep the law. Jesus’ entire life was not about getting people to keep the Law, but about His keeping the Law for them.

You and I don’t keep the Law perfectly. That is, in fact, one of the purposes of the law, it is a mirror to show us our sin. Oh yes, we can look to the law and see how we’re supposed to live, but knowing what we should be doing doesn’t make it happen, does it? As we heard last week, there are so many other things which we love more than God - fishing, hunting, music, the car, the boat, the home, our kids, our kids’ sports, the Packers, and the list could go on and on. I too must admit, just as all of you must, that there are times that one, or many of these things, or even some others, come before God in my life. In fact, in all honesty, we love too many things more than we love God, and it happens more often than we’d like.

As for loving our neighbor as ourselves, do we really need to go there? Which of you would willingly give of yourself or your belongings for your friends or family members - I mean, give so that you go without something you love. Would you sell your boat or favorite gun so that you could give the proceeds of the sale to another, so your brother might eat? Now, would you be willing to do that so a stranger could have? Do you forgive others as you’d like to be forgiven? Do you really love everybody as you love yourself?

The Pharisees didn’t really love God with all their heart, mind, and soul - just as you don’t. The Pharisees didn’t really love their neighbor as themselves - just as you don’t.

And so, as they’re trying to think up a further way to trip up Jesus, Jesus brings up the real purpose for the Law. The purpose of the Law is to show us our sin so that we look not to ourselves, but to God’s Christ. Jesus was trying to get the Pharisees not to trust in themselves and their keeping of the Law, but He wanted them to trust the One which God was to send into the world - the Son of David, God’s Christ, the one greater even than David.

The Pharisees wanted an earthly king. They asked a question of the Law because they saw the Law as the end of all religious discussion - they can be saved by the Law. Jesus shows that David’s Son is more than an earthly king. David failed the Law; He could not keep it as required. In Jesus’ question, He is trying to bring them to faith, to see religion not as only about the law, but ultimately about God’s Christ.

God’s Christ came as a man, the Son of David according to the flesh, to redeem David from His failures in keeping the Law.

The greatest commandment is God’s Christ. God’s Christ loved God with all His heart, even being obedient till that heart stopped beating. He loved God with all His soul, giving His very spirit into the Father’s hand from the cross. He loved God with all His mind; teaching, preaching, proclaiming the truths of God, even though it brought Him the hatred of the people and ultimately took Him to the cross.

God’s Christ, Jesus, did the will of His Father in all things, showing His love in His perfect obedience.

Christ also loved His neighbor as Himself. When he took upon Himself the sins, His love for every single person who would ever live, moved Him to suffer the Father’s wrath against all people for their lack of love - for God and for each other. His love for you is most evident when you consider His suffering and death

His love, sacrificed upon the cross, is given to you when you remember - when you hear His love spoken to you in the comforting words of sins forgiven. His love, sacrificed upon the cross, nourishes your faith in Him and love toward your neighbor when you eat of His body which was pierced and drink of His blood which was shed out of His great love for you.

What is the greatest commandment? Jesus summarizes the whole law with one word - Love! Christ is the perfect fulfillment of that Commandment, He is the embodiment of love. Christ came to give you His love. Receive Christ’s love for God. Receive Christ’s love for your neighbor. Receive perfect love in the forgiveness of your sins.

The question the Pharisees asked about the law brings into focus your need for forgiveness and salvation. Christ’s answer points to Himself, for He is perfect love who fulfilled that Law for you.

What do you think about the Christ? While the Pharisees could not reply to Jesus’ question, there is a wonderful answer. The Christ is my answer to what is the greatest commandment. Christ is my forgiveness and salvation, He is my love of God and my neighbor. Christ is your greatest commandment, He is your salvation and your forgiveness. Christ is He who keeps God’s Law for you and in you. Christ is God’s love for you, and in you, and through you.

It is my prayer dear friends, live In Christ - live in Love. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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