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It was still Tuesday and another controversial subject is brought up, this time by a Scribe who was a Pharisee. When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they went to Him and one of them, who was a Lawyer, asked a question. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law.?"
This was no idle question. It had been cussed and discussed for years. Some believed that the Law concerning circumcision was the greatest. Some believed that the Laws concerning the Sabbath were the greatest. Some, and this one had a great following among the priests, believed that the Laws concerning the sacrifices were the greatest. Of the 120 Laws that were in effect at the time of Jesus, all had followers.
To Jesus, it must have seemed like everybody was putting Him to the test. Here was a Lawyer, a student of the Law, asking about which, of all the great commandments. was the greatest. He was a triple threat. He was a Pharisee, a Scribe and a Lawyer, which means that he dealt mostly with practical everyday problems. What motivated the question? We need to read Mark's account to shed some light on this, even so, opinions differ. Some believe he tried to ensnare Jesus in a legal trap. Some believe that he did this to show off his knowledge of the Law, to draw Jesus into a discussion in which there was no right answer. Others believe that it was a sincere question and appears to be borne out in Mark's record of Jesus' last remark to the Lawyer. Actually, we are all indebted to this Lawyer for asking this question.
Notice how Jesus answered the question. "You shall love the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength, and you should love your neighbor as yourself." Now notice what this tells us about laws. Judicial laws, ceremonial laws, laws governing religious conduct and accepted practices will pass away, these will change, but the law commanding that you love God and your neighbor, will never change for this is the foundation of all the other commandments.
So love of God is the first and great commandment. Notice we are to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. Some believe that these three are all the same thing. Others believe they signify will, affections and understanding. Our love of God must be sincere. We may fool some people into thinking we love them, but we can never fool God.
A part of that commandment is the need to love our neighbor also, just as we love ourselves. Jesus said this part is like the first, all the sincerity that motivates our love of God, must motivate our love for our neighbor. Much is implied in this commandment. Matthew Henry says that we must be willing to spend and be spent for others. "No greater love has any man than he lay down his life for another."
Notice the importance of these commandments. Jesus said, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." In other words, the sum and substance of all the other laws and words of the prophets, relating to religion, whether written in men's hearts, proclaimed by nature, written on stone and given to Moses or preached by the prophets, all of these rise or fall on the necessity that we love God and one another. Paul says in Rom. 13:10, "The fulfilling of the law is love." In I Tim. 1:5 he says, "The end of the law is love."
Now did the Lawyer like Jesus' answer? He agreed, "You are right, Teacher." "You have truly said there is no other greater than to love Him with all the heart, understanding and strength we have and love of one's neighbor also is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." He had a knowledge of the Law, and here he shows unusual understanding of the "intent" of the Law also.
Some may have thought that this Lawyer pretended to agree just to get Jesus' approval but this surly was not true for Jesus found in this man a welcome change. In the past Jesus had met many men of letters who spoke with no understanding. It was good to see one who was rational, whose reasoning was not blinded with prejudice. An open mind is the first step to salvation. Thus Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
Note: There is hope for those who make use of the "light" that they have and go as far as that light will take them. To whom much is given, much is expected. The opposite is true also. God will, by His Grace, lead them further, should they so desire. We are not told what became of this Lawyer, we can only hope his thrust for knowledge and his open mindedness led him to inquire further.
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