Matthew 22:34-40

About the Text

(34) Who were the Sadducees and Pharisees? See notes from last two messages. In short, the Sadducees were the intellectual, liberal, elite sect of Judaism. The Pharisees were the more popular, legalistic sect.

(35) What does it mean that the expert in the law wanted to "test" Jesus? He represented the religious leaders in opposition to Jesus, to attempt to bring Jesus down. He was asking Jesus to choose one of the familiar Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 20:1-17) as the "greatest commandment." If Jesus were to choose one of the ten, the law expert could have argued the point, cast doubt in people's minds as to Jesus' teaching authority, thereby de-popularizing Him. Jesus, however, answered with such indisputable and divine truth, that the opposition gave up challenging Jesus with difficult questions by verse 46.

(37) What does it mean to "love" God? In the original Greek language, the word "agapao" means to willingly give without self-interest. Then the Bible further refines the concept of love - it is an act of a will (not just an emotional feeling) to committedly and wholeheartedly give oneself for the sake of another. In the Old Testament, for example, loving God always implied complete obedience to God (see Deut 11:1, 13, and 22), whether we get anything back from Him or not.

(37) Why does Jesus mention the "heart, soul, and mind"? God desires to be loved in a way that involves every part of us. This is a paraphrased quotation from Deut. 6:5. It is not to say that human life could be divided into a heart, soul, mind, or strength. Rather, it's a way of saying that God desired the kind of love where we commit every part of our life in obedience to Him. It means, for example, that we must obey Him not only with our outward actions of the body (e.g. avoiding murder), but also our inner desires (e.g. avoiding hatred).

(39) What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? Jesus wants us to avoid the "me first" attitude. This verse does not mean to encourage us to love ourselves first before loving others, i.e. it is not a license for self-love. Rather, it means that we who naturally love ourselves ought to now direct that love to others. In Luke's gospel (10:25-37), Jesus gives the parable of the Good Samaritan as an illustration of the second greatest commandment. See also Lev. 19:18.

(40) What does it mean that all the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments? These two commandments form a wellspring from which all other virtues flow. The Ten Commandment, for example (see Exodus 20:1-17) can be divided in two: the first four commandment having to do with loving God, and the remaining six having to do with loving others. See also Rom. 13:10, and 1 Cor. 13.

Insights

• God desires the kind of love that commits every part of our life to obedience. (34-38)
• This and the second commandment makes all other virtues fall into place. (39-40)
• The cross of Christ is the key to love.
  

The Bottom Line

Be loving. Are you truly a man or woman of genuine love? Does warmth, mercy, and compassion flow from you? Do you feel pain when others feel pain? I ask this because it's too common to go about life, serving in church, working hard, teaching others about Christ, praying, singing, and accomplishing much for God, without the genuine love to drive us to do it. But there is a way to be more loving. Know Jesus Christ's love for us first. Meditate on His enormous act of love for us: His death on a cross in order to cleanse us from sin and to adopt us as God's own children. When we ponder and understand Christ's work, then we cannot help but to be so impressed that we begin to love too.

Key Memory Verses

"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." (22:37-39)