We're going to look at some verses in Matthew's Gospel today. The setting is the Temple in Jerusalem where Jesus had been teaching his disciples. The Pharisees desired to try to trip up Jesus in His teaching:
Matt 22:15 (KJV)
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
You can read the next few verses for that story, but the result was:
Matt 22:22-23 (KJV)
22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him...
So then we see the Sadducees trying the same tactic, with the same results!
Matt 22:34
34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
So here they go again!
Matt 22:35-36 (KJV)
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
The word "lawyer" is the Greek word, nomikos, which means: according to or pertaining to the law, one learned in the law, an expert in the Mosaic law. This was one who had studied the Law of Moses, probably his entire life, and new it inside and out. The word "tempting" is the Greek word, peirazo, which means: to test objectively, to scrutinize, entice, assay, examine, prove, try (it can be in either a good sense with right motives or in a bad sense with bad motives). We want to look at the answer Jesus gave him here:
Matt 22:37-40 (KJV)
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38 This is the first and great commandment.39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus said, "Thou shalt love", the Greek word agapao which is referring to the God kind of love. It is the same word used in John 3:16 of God's love for the world that caused Him to send Jesus for us! He says here that WE are to love HIM with that same love! We are to love Him with "all", the Greek word, holos, which means: whole, all, complete, altogether, every whit, completely with all thy (referring to each individual person) "heart" which is the combination of our spirit being and our soul (our mind, emotions and will). Then He breaks it down further to our soul (because that is where we make choices!) and even further to our "mind", the Greek word, dianoia, which means: deep thought, imagination, understanding. That's where it has to start! In order to love the Lord the way we are told to here, we must get to KNOW Him! (Paul reveals his desire to know Him in Philippians 3:8-14. Check it out in the Amplified Bible!) The way we get to know Him is through the Word. Once we KNOW Him, our choice will be whether or not to love Him with the same love with which He loves us! Now don't stop there! The next part is equally as important in the eyes of God! Jesus said that we are to love (agapao) our neighbor even as we love ourselves! He also said that these two commandments are the basis for the entire Law! We don't have to "try" to obey the 10 commandments. If we do these two things, the rest will be taken care of! If we love someone we won't even consider stealing from them or lying about them or any of the other "shalt nots"! And a little secret is this: WHEN we love the Lord like that, loving each other will also fall into place!
We have our instructions! We need to get to know Him to the point of loving Him with our entire being! Then we love each other and the results are found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8! Love (charity, from the same Greek word and SHOULD be translated love!) NEVER fails! I think I want to love like that! How about you?
Shalom in Him!
