What is the Greatest Commandment? 什麼是最大的誡命?

You may have heard the phrase, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.” Teachers use this phrase a lot to encourage their young students. They do this because they know that questions reveal to them what their students already know, what it is they don’t know, and provide an opportunity to expand their students’ understanding. In my line of work, I ask a lot of questions. Questions are to a therapist what an X-ray is to an Emergency Room doctor: They are a tool to discover or confirm what cannot be fully seen on the surface. I don’t know if any of you pay attention to politics, but in case you don’t, the next election season has already started. We’re a long way from November 2012 but politicians at the local level, state level and national level are already vying for our time and attention. I’m sure there are some decent politicians out there, those whose desire it is to serve their constituencies, but it’s hard to find politicians who always say what they mean and mean what they say. We don’t want our politicians to run a campaign one way, but govern another. So how do we figure that out?

We ask questions! We research, and then we ask more questions. There are debates, discussions, interviews, press conferences, meet-and-greets and retail politicking in the local diner, coffee shop and high school gym. Everywhere politicians go there are handlers, journalists, camera crews and local townspeople surrounding them, trying to find out what kind of politician or elected official he or she will be if and when elected. We observe these interactions hoping they will give us insight into their “true” thinking. We assess what their philosophy is for decision making so we’ll know how they’ll govern in the future. We ask them questions about a hypothetical crisis, just to get some sense of how they would respond in an actual crisis. We ask about their plans concerning domestic policy and foreign affairs. We can ask questions until we’re blue in the face but we still may not figure out who they are at their core. Why is that? It probably has a lot to do with the fact they hire people to help them craft answers that are just vague enough so that you don’t disagree with them and vote for someone else. I also think they keep their answers purposefully ambiguous so that they don’t have to defend their statement later when public opinion changes. Essentially, most politicians want to be all things to all people. I don’t think it’s possible to pull that off, but politicians sure try!

Jesus was no politician. He didn’t have spin doctors sending “clarifying statements” after he had spoken. He wasn’t looking to solicit votes or curry favor. He had no interest in being popular or devising daily tracking polls. No, he was authentic and singularly focused. He welcomed questions and loved to teach. One of the things I like so much when reading the Gospels is all the people who gathered around Jesus. While there was always a lot of activity that surrounded him, there were many questions asked as well. Some of these questions were for the person’s edification. They wanted to understand more about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who they had heard so much about through Moses’ writings, through the prophets and the psalms. I love to read about the first followers of Christ because they are faith builders. We read about the woman who had so much faith that she didn’t ask Jesus a question at all. She thought if she could simply touch Jesus’ clothes she would be healed - and she was! Then there was Nicodemus the Pharisee who came to Jesus asking him about the miracles he performed. Nicodemus knew the Lord was with Jesus, but had trouble believing he was and is the Messiah. Because he was a Pharisee, he came to Jesus at night so no other Pharisees would see what he was doing. They had a long discussion. Jesus entertained all of his questions and explained what it means to be born again. It’s in Jesus’ answers to Nicodemus’ questions that we learn that God loved the world in this manner that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. That God did not send His Son to condemn the world but to save it. While we don’t know what became of Nicodemus, you and I are given the message of eternal life as the Gospels capture this nighttime conversation for us to read, ponder and share with the world.

Then there were those who completely tried to devalue Jesus’ message. Their questions were asked in an attempt to uncover inconsistencies so they could debunk His teachings. They tried to prove Him wrong because they could not believe the Messiah would come in the way Jesus did. They thought the Messiah would be politically oriented, setting up an earthly kingdom, but Jesus was not concerned about government structures. In the midst of all the questions swirling around him, regardless of who and what the questioners wanted Him to be, Jesus remains the same. He did not change his message depending on His audience. He did not say one thing to one town and another thing to another town. He did not go from a message of fire and brimstone to one of health and wealth. He preached a single message of salvation, hope, and healing. It was this message that kept the multitudes coming to Him.

In the midst of the multitudes that wanted to learn from Jesus were Jewish leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who hoped to trip him up with their questions. In today’s political landscape, we would call those “gotcha questions.” These questions are meant to set the person up to fail, to be embarrassed, and to lose supporters. The Pharisees and the Sadducees took turns with their own “gotcha questions.” It sounds like a competition, doesn’t it? That’s because it was! The Pharisees and Sadducees held polar opposite beliefs. The Pharisees were considered more prominent than the Sadducees. You can even tell this by the abundance of texts in the New Testament concerning the Pharisees and by the lack of texts concerning the Sadducees. The primary differences of belief and teaching were related to the Law and to the Resurrection. First, let’s look at their view of the Law. The Sadducees were adamant that the Law was fundamental and unchanging. As a result, their judicial proceedings were to adhere strictly to the Law. When I refer to the Law, I don’t just mean the 10 Commandments but to every word written in the first five books of our Bible, known as The Torah. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were not as strict. They believed the Law was a bit more malleable. They ascribed not only to the written Law but also to the oral Law and argued that there was room for interpretation. One example is working on the Sabbath. The Sadducees read that you were not to work on the Sabbath so they didn’t. It seemed pretty clear to them. The Pharisees felt that the word “work” needed to be defined first. To the Sadducees, any type of work was forbidden so when they saw the Pharisees do anything on the Sabbath, they thought they were acting in contrary to the Law.

The second point of conflict was the Resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees did not believe in the Resurrection of the dead. As a result they did not believe in the afterlife, much less any reward or punishment for the life one lived. They believed in a deistic God who had no real care for humans. Their view of God is that He created humans and then let them do what they wanted without His interference or concern. It is no wonder the Sadducees were more of a political group than the Pharisees because their sites were only set on the here and now. As a result, they were supporters of Hellenism. Hellenism is the permeation of Greek philosophy, language, politics, and culture into the cultures of others. The Sadducees would have been willing to allow some of the Greek culture into their daily life and practice. This is ironic considering their absolute adherence to the written word of the Torah. Then we have the Pharisees who opposed Hellenism and the politics of the time. They wanted to preserve Jewish culture and keep it separate from Gentile culture. This is why the Pharisees asked Jesus about taxes paid to Caesar. Pastor Li read this last week. Matthew 22:17-22 states, “Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius. Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus understood the intention of their question. They were testing who had His allegiance. They wondered if he going to prove that he was separate from the world like them or if he going to be like the Sadducees and embrace Greek culture. Ha! Neither! Jesus’ answer demonstrated that he was not restricted to this world or confined to an earthly way of thinking. He didn’t give an either/or answer. Instead, his answer demonstrated how we are to live in the current time while not being of the world. This is an important distinction to make. To live in the world is to exist in the world but to be of the world is to embrace the values, goals, and beliefs rooted in the world. Jesus knew that you and I and all His followers were going to be in the world – it’s where we live – but He called us to not be of the world. He wants us to exchange the values, goals and beliefs of an earthly nature for the values, goals and beliefs of the heavenly nature, the Kingdom to come.

The Sadducees were up next. They asked if a person is widowed and remarries and if this happens several times, who is the person’s spouse upon resurrection? Jesus knew their teaching and philosophy. The Sadducees didn’t believe in resurrection. Why would they care how it works? Jesus calls them on it. He responds that they are deceived because they don’t know the Scriptures, the very thing they pride themselves on. Not only do they not know the Scriptures but they do not know the Power of God for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven. He goes on to say, “Have you not read what was spoken to you by God? ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” The Sadducees were silent. In fact, we don’t have it recorded here that any more questions were asked by the Sadducees. A politician would walk off and call the silencing of a detractor a major victory. But Jesus never rejoiced in their ignorance. These were teachers of the Law but they had no understanding of the Law. While the Pharisees were stumped by the coin question earlier, they may have taken some delight in the Sadducees being silenced but were likely not overjoyed by if. After all, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection. They may have even agreed with Jesus’ about marriage not occurring in heaven. They may not have viewed the exchange as much of a feat to squash the Sadducees beliefs because the Sadducees beliefs were so inferior to their own. They were a haughty bunch. So they tried their own tactic. The Pharisees thought they could trick Jesus with a different question. They wanted to know, out of all the Laws contained in The Torah, which commandment was the greatest. They must have thought themselves very clever.

Without hesitation, Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” The first half of Jesus’ response reminds his audience that we must love the Lord with every fiber of our being. There is no Law greater. Someone could keep all the Laws and fail in this one and they would have followed the Law for nothing. Our Lord requires full devotion to Him. Anyone who has listened to my sermons certainly has heard this already. But think about the three components about the first commandment Jesus gives. Jesus says we must love the Lord our God with all out heart. When we think about our hearts we often think about empathy and concern for ourselves and others. When someone says they have a heart for something it means they are passionate about that something. You might think of your marriage. People commonly say, “I give my heart to you.” That means they are giving their passion and devotion. The same goes the Lord. When someone gives the Lord their heart it means they are giving the Lord their total passion, their total devotion. As a result, everything comes second to the Lord. He is the One the passionate, devoted person seeks to praise every day. The Lord is the One they turn to for guidance, for protection, for help, for peace, and for fulfillment. So to give your heart to the Lord is to give Him your all.

The next is the soul. Last week in the adult Sunday School class, we discussed what gives us life. We looked at DNA, the building block of the material person, and we asked, “Does DNA give us life?” It doesn’t give us life, per se, but it is the evidence of life. This pulpit does not have DNA but I do. DNA determines our hair color, height, skin color, and other physical features. A manufacturer determined what this pulpit would look like and how it would function. But there is something else the Lord blessed us with that gives us life. That is our soul. We have a spiritual side to us that animals do not. Many consider our soul to be our inner being. It is our existence. It is what is eternal in us versus our material body. To emphasize this we read Matthew 10:28 which tells us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” These are Jesus’ words as He is sending his disciples out to the world. He is telling them to beware of the works of the enemy and to not be deceived by evil which would want to invoke the fear of man in us. For humans cannot destroy the soul. Only the Lord can determine what happens to the eternal part of us and it is our faith in Him that gives our soul protection. To disavow ourselves from the Lord is to forego the protection of our souls. When we give our soul to the Lord we are turning over our whole being to Him.

Many also perceive the soul to be the source of emotion. Scripture reinforces this with many verses, Psa. 43:5 states, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God! For I will yet praise Him, my

Savior and my God.” The psalmist is indicating it is his soul that is depressed. It is not his body or his mind, but his soul. He is relying on the Lord’s intervention to free him from being down. So when one turns his or her soul to the Lord the person is turning over their eternal security and their emotions to the Lord as well. When we fully trust in the Lord and turn our emotions over to Him our worries melt away and we are filled with joy.

The third part of this commandment is to love the Lord with all your mind. As you know, the mind is the control center of our thinking. All of us have the ability to think and to reason. This ability gives us distinction from animals as well. Animals act on instinct. They are concerned with what will help them eat, sleep, reproduce and survive. They do not have the ability for innovation and invention. Humans do have that ability. So, when the Lord commands us to love Him with our mind we need to ask ourselves if we utilize our mind to honor Him. The Lord desires our every thought to praise Him. This means as we work, as we spend our leisure time, as we enjoy nature that everything be to His glory. I think of people like C.S. Lewis and Blaise Pascal, who were two amazingly intelligent men who both loved the Lord. C.S. Lewis was a writer, who we will be discussing in further detail again today in Sunday School. Blaise Pascal was a mathematician, who invented the mechanical calculator, and a philosopher. Both loved the Lord deeply and both used their talents for His glory and the spread of His Gospel. They used their minds in the areas they specialized in to demonstrate the power and glory of the Lord. We too must think about our strengths in whatever area we have been blessed. Do you excel in academic intelligence, music, the arts, culinary arts, engineering, science or economics? How about cartography, quilting, any type of problem solving? You can use whatever area you have been blessed with to serve the Lord with your mind.

Jesus did not just give the Pharisees one commandment, as they had asked. You see, the first commandment inevitably flows into this second commandment. If you don’t love the Lord with your heart, soul and mind, you cannot love people. You can tolerate and like them for a little while, but you cannot love them. The second commandment Jesus refers is to love your neighbor as yourself. This commandment leads us to recognize the need for thinking outside ourselves. It makes us realize we are not the only person on the earth. If we went though life only making sure we took care of Number One and did not reach out to those around us, then how can we say we love the Lord? If we love the Lord, service to others will flow from that. Through these two commandments, Jesus is letting us know that we need a personal relationship with God and that the gifts he gives us are not to be kept for our own personal benefit, but for the benefit of others so that they might know and worship God, too. We must apply our love for the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind to also loving our neighbors. If I have given every bit of my self to the Lord he will develop and refine me. This is so I can go out and share the Gospel message and love others.

After answering the question Jesus turns it around on the Pharisees and asks them a question. He asks in Matthew 22:41-45, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet”? If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” Jesus is now calling into question the fundamental beliefs the Pharisees hold about the Messiah. The Pharisees of course are waiting for the descendent of David to come and change the political system. Jesus is about to prove them wrong. Jesus points to Psalm 110 for this reference. David was the highest ruler in Israel given he was king. No one, not even his own son, would he ever call lord, unless he was speaking to God. So, when David says, “The Lord said to my lord” we know David is not talking to a mere human son. We also know that David’s reference is to the Messiah because the Messiah is the one who would sit at the right hand of God. So, Jesus’ argument cannot be misinterpreted by the Pharisees. Jesus demonstrates that, while the Messiah comes from the line of David, the Messiah is not of David. The Messiah is begotten by the Lord and the Lord is not concerned with changing political affairs. He is concerned with changing people’s hearts toward eternal life with Him.

In the end the passage states that no one dared to question Jesus again. Jesus demonstrated a Biblical acumen that the Pharisees did not have. Jesus put together passages from Scripture to make His points that the Pharisees and Sadducees would have read about, but would not have understood on their own. You see, they knew the words written in the Law. But they did not love the Author of the Law with all their hearts, souls and minds, much less their neighbors. Jesus’ interactions with them left no room for anyone to rebuke. Jesus spoke in an authority they did not have. We are blessed to not only have the Law, but to have the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus Christ. Let’s ask him today to forgive us for the times we have not loved him fully with our hearts, with our souls and with our minds. Let’s dedicate ourselves to this first commandment, and from that love each other as we love ourselves. Let us pray.

Matt. 22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned,24 and they left him and went away.

Matt. 22:34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together.

Matt. 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test42 him:

Matt. 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

Matt. 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Matt. 22:38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matt. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matt. 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Matt. 22:41 ¶ While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question:

Matt. 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.”

Matt. 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,

Matt. 22:44 ‘The Lord said to my lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet”?

Matt. 22:45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”

Matt. 22:46 No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.