The synpotic gospels all contain the greatest commandment and help people to understand why that is so. Commencing with Matthew's account, "Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matt 22:37-40)
Two commandments are listed here where the law and the prophets are said to hang on. In the Decalogue (10 commandments in Ex 20 & Deut 5) the first four of the Ten Commandments emphasize loving God and the last six loving another's neighbour. To love God and neighbour is therefore obviously linked with obeying His commandments!
Notice also that the two commandments Jesus gives in this passage are not new ones.
Deut 6:5 reads, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."
Christians are to love God with the totality of their being. In Greek thought the heart, soul and strength are entirely separate entities whereas in the Hebrew they are distinct yet inextricably linked.
In other words, believers are called to love God with all their energies and faculties. Therefore, worship towards Him should include the spirit, and not leave the mind, emotions and strength out of the equation. The careful reader might notice that Matthew mentions heart, soul and mind while Deuteronomy lists heart soul and strength. That is why it is necessary to also read Mark and Luke's account of the same!
The Commandments Are Not New
The second commandment is not a new one either! Leviticus 19:18 reads, "but you shall love your neighbour as you love yourself: I am the Lord." Okay point taken but how does one love their neighbour?
John had something very clear to say about the above point: "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:2-3)
Some may well want to draw a distinction between their neighbour and the children of God. Luke’s account resolves that point. Mark's account will be examined first though.
Mark wrote, "Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like it, is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.: (Mark 12:29-31)
Interestingly Jesus quotes Deut 6:4, saying, "Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is one" immediately before saying, "You shall love the Lord your God..." (Deut 6:5) So even though Matthew does not include Deut 6:4, they are obviously quoting from the exact same passage and chapter and verse divisions were not inserted until centuries after the Canon's of Scripture were established.
Deut 6:4 In Hebrew
"Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloyhenu Adonai Echad." The word "Echad" means one in terms of unity, like one bundle of sticks or one bunch of grapes as the Jewish commentator David Stern would verify and also confirms that God is plural yet unified!
Also Mark records that believers should love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, whilst Matthew listed heart, soul and mind.
Finally Luke records Jesus response to the lawyer, saying, "So he answered and said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself. And He said to him, You have answered rightly; do this and you will live. But he wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?" (Luke 10:27-29)
Who Is One’s Neighbour?
Jesus then told the lawyer about the priest and the Levite who walked past the wounded man who was left half dead and it was the Samaritan that took good care of him and was willing to cover his costs.
Jesus told him to go and do likewise and so should His followers today. It goes back to Cain and Abel. Where is Abel your brother? He responded, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
If still unsure of who one’s neighbour is Mathew 25 is quite clear that when the naked are clothed and the sick are visited in prison then that is being done for His glory also.
Jonathan Taylor - Jonathan Taylor holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology with Sport Science at Worcester University College, a two year Diploma in Theology ...
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