The legal experts asked the law writer which law was most important.

That’s what happened in Matthew 22:35-40.

To answer, Jesus combines two commands from the Old Testament, a first-century mashup. The first, quoted from Deuteronomy, says Love God completely. It’s not a negative command (“don’t do this”), it’s a positive command (“do this”.) With every way that you can, love God.

The second command, from Leviticus, says to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

“But what do I do to love God?”
“But I don’t love myself very much.”
“But who is my neighbor?”
“But how much is loving God with all my heart?”
“But I can’t love God, I’m not sure he even exists. ”

There are a huge number of questions. There are tons of books, millions of sermons. The Great Commandment, as this has been called, or the Jesus Creed, as Scot McKnight describes it, is often linked to the Great Commission which we will consider at the end of Matthew.

Why would Jesus identify as core something that raises so much challenge for understanding?

1. If this is the greatest commandment, it is worth all the study that it would take. Jesus says that the law and the prophets hang on these two hooks. All the teachings of the Old Testament are here. So devoting a lifetime to sorting out what matters is more worthwhile than devoting a lifetime to sorting out Skittles.

2. If Jesus came to fulfill the law, which he says, then he has kept this command. His life shows loving God completely and loving your neighbor as yourself. So perhaps the study is a simple as looking at how Jesus lived.

3. If it is this important, then maybe we overcomplicate. Rather than figuring out the edges of what counts. just love God and others.