Matthew 22:35
“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,”
Context:This verse is part of a larger narrative in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is engaged in a series of debates and discussions with various religious leaders and experts of the law. In this particular instance, a lawyer, or an expert in Jewish religious law, approaches Jesus with a question. The intention behind the lawyer’s question is not sincere; rather, he is attempting to test or tempt Jesus in order to find fault with His teachings.
The verse serves as an introduction to the question that the lawyer is about to pose to Jesus. The subsequent verses (Matthew 22:36-40) record the lawyer’s question and Jesus’ response. Here are the following verses:
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”
In Matthew 22:36, the lawyer asks Jesus to identify the greatest commandment in the Jewish law. This question was a matter of great debate among religious scholars of the time, with differing opinions on which commandment held the highest importance. The lawyer’s question aims to engage Jesus in this debate and perhaps catch Him off guard with His response.
Jesus then provides a profound and concise answer in Matthew 22:37-40, summarizing the essence of the entire law:
“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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Jesus’ response emphasizes the importance of love-love for God and love for one’s neighbor. He states that these two commandments are the foundation of the entire law and the teachings of the prophets. In other words, if one truly loves God with their entire being and loves their neighbor as themselves, they are fulfilling the essence of the entire law.
This teaching emphasizes the centrality of love and relationship both with God and with other people. It underscores the significance of having a genuine love for God, expressing it through our thoughts, emotions, and actions, and extending that love to those around us. By adhering to these two commandments, believers can embody the core principles of the Old Testament law and the teachings of the prophets.
Matthew 22:35, therefore, sets the stage for an important question and an even more significant response from Jesus, highlighting the foundational nature of love in the practice of the law and the teachings of Christianity.
