34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
This Sunday’s readings revolve around the laws God has given us. Throughout this section of the Gospel of St Matthew, the Pharisees and other enemies of Jesus ask him hostile questions in the hope of discrediting him. These inquiries usually involve interpretations of the Torah and each time Jesus speaks the truth without falling into their trap.
The previous “trap” had been sprung by the Sadducees, and now the Pharisees pick up where the former left off. They ask him which is the greatest commandment. Jesus replies, quoting Deuteronomy (a text that pious Jews recite in the morning and evening). It is important to understand here that the love of God and love of neighbor of which Jesus speaks is not an emotion but rather a way of life. It is working for others and so it is something that one can decide to do – even if we don’t like everyone. Jesus says we must do this with our heart, soul and mind which represent the entire person. Jesus is calling us to love God with every fiber of our being.
Although they only ask him for one commandment, Jesus gives them two because they cannot be divorced from each other. Love of neighbor is the only real proof of love of God so the second commandment Jesus gives us is no less important than the first. Martin Luther even argued that while our neighbor is needy, God needs nothing. Therefore, he reasoned, we truly serve God by serving our neighbor. In other words, religion and ethics are the same, and piety cannot be separated from one’s behavior. We should not perform religious duties for human approval or because we fear hell. We do them because of our close and loving relationship with God. As part of that relationship we must treat our neighbor as we love and treat ourselves.
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