Prioritizing the Commandments
TRANSLATION
(28) And one of the teachers of the Law approached and heard them debating. Knowing that Jesus had answered them well, he asked, “Which commandment is the most important?” (29) Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one, (30) and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (31) The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (32) And the teacher of the Law said to him, “Well spoken, Teacher! Truly you have said that he is one and that there is no other besides him. (33) And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.” (34) And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no one after that dared to ask him any question.
(35) While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Messiah is the son of David? (36) David himself speaking by (the inspiration of) the Holy Spirit, said ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ (37) David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ So how can he be his son?” And the people heard him gladly.
OBSERVATIONS
This segment which contained the religious leaders’ attempts to ensnare Jesus in controversial questions concluded with Jesus himself asking a confounding question. Repetitions included the words, “Lord” (used five times in vss. 29, 30, 36, & 37), “love” (used four times in vss. 30, 31, & 33), “David” (found three times in vss. 35, 36, & 37), “most important” (vss. 28 & 29), and “son” (vss. 35 & 37). The attitude of the teacher of the Law in asking Jesus about the most important commandment seemed less adversarial than the Savior’s previous questioners. We get the sense that this man may well have been sincerely seeking a valid answer from an authoritative and gifted teacher to a question that had possibly been troubling him for some time. Jesus’ response and then his brief comment on the response given by this teacher of the law indicated that he did not perceive a hidden agenda in the man’s inquiry.
Jesus’ final question, based on Psalm 110, raised the thorny issue of the identity of the Anointed One, “Christ” in Greek and “Messiah” in Hebrew (Ps. 110:1). While no one made any attempt to answer at that tense moment, Peter would eventually provide the answer to Jesus’ question in the sermon he gave on the Day of Pentecost: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). In essence, Jesus alone was both David’s son (his direct descendent) and David’s lord, someone greater than David because he is in fact God’s only begotten Son.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus answered the question, “What is the most important commandment?” (28-34)
II. Jesus’ question, “Why did David call his son ‘Lord,’” remained unanswered. (35-37)
IDEA STATEMENT
The one who identified the greatest of the commandments is the one who will reign as David’s unique son, the Messiah, when he returns.
APPLICATION
Many of us were taught the following principle early on: “Ask a good question...get a good answer.” Jesus had just been asked a lot of malicious questions, all designed to trap him. Finally, he had been asked a good question by an apparently sincere inquirer, and the answer Jesus gave was direct and to the point. From that answer we learn that the message of the entire Old Testament can be captured in the call to love. First, we are to love God, our creator, wholeheartedly. Then, we are to love our neighbors as we would love ourselves. Those who understand and seek to obey this essential summary of the entire Law of Moses are, in Jesus’ words, “not far from the Kingdom of God.” They are prepared to take the final step which will result in their entering the Kingdom, a step taken in response to the correct answer to Jesus’ follow-up question regarding the identity of David’s Son.
While those who heard Jesus’ final question that day made no attempt to answer him, we, to whom the Gospel of grace has been proclaimed, know that the correct answer will transport us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. Just as Thomas made his confession after meeting the resurrected Christ (Jn. 20:28), so we should joyfully declare regarding Jesus, “David’s son has become both my Lord and my God!”