The Greatest Command is Love
Nothing ruffled Jesus’ calm. He faced every obstacle and confrontation with grace and a full command over what he talked about. The Pharisees tried to one up the Sadducees. Since Jesus easily deflected their attempt to embarrass him, the Pharisees thought they could do better. The Jews had 613 commands which they ranked from most important to least. Perhaps they thought that asking Jesus which one was the greatest of these commands would either stump him or cause conflict among his followers. Instead of ranking the commands, he summed them all up into two. He not only deflected their attempt to trap him, but he proved his superior knowledge and understanding of scripture.
This encounter echoes Psalm 2:1-4 which says, “Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and His anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.” People still believe they are superior to the Lord. They still try to twist scripture and confuse His people, but they will not win. When the world plots and schemes against God’s people, we need not worry. No matter how disastrous the plans of the wicked are, God remains in control. The most evil of plans only makes God laugh. To Him, the violent rages of the wicked are as pointless as a toddler’s temper tantrum. Isaiah 14:27 tells us, “For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?”
The answer that Jesus gave the Pharisees is the one that we should keep in our minds every day. This should be our daily goal: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… love your neighbor as yourself.” As Jesus said, this is the complete summary of every command given in scripture. We don’t need to over-complicate our goals. Instead, let us live every single moment of our lives adhering to the greatest commandment: love.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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