Sunday: The Two Greatest Commandments
Daily Lesson for Sunday 16th of March 2025
To reflect on what we might do, individually and corporately, to advance God’s love and justice in our world, it is appropriate to begin by focusing on what God has commanded us.
Read Matthew 22:34-40. How did Jesus answer the lawyer’s question?
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
According to Jesus Himself, the “ ‘first and great commandment’ ” is “ ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ’ ” And, Jesus adds, “ ‘the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ’ ” These commandments do not stand alone, however. Jesus further instructs: “ ‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’ ” (Matthew 22:37-40, NKJV). Indeed, they are themselves quoted from the Old Testament.
Read Matthew 19:16-23. How do Jesus’ answers to the rich young ruler’s questions relate to His answers to the lawyer’s question in Matthew 22:1-46?
What was going on here? Why did Jesus answer this man as He did? And what should these encounters say to us all, regardless of our position or station in life?
“Christ made the only terms which could place the ruler where he would perfect a Christian character. His words were words of wisdom, though they appeared severe and exacting. In accepting and obeying them was the ruler’s only hope of salvation. His exalted position and his possessions were exerting a subtle influence for evil upon his character. If cherished, they would supplant God in his affections. To keep back little or much from God was to retain that which would lessen his moral strength and efficiency; for if the things of this world are cherished, however uncertain and unworthy they may be, they will become all-absorbing.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 520.
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Though we might not all be called to sell all that we have, as was this rich young ruler, what might you, personally, be clinging to that, if you don’t give up, could lead to your eternal ruin? |
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On a very practical level, how can one acquire and demonstrate love for God? The Bible is very loud and clear on acquiring love for God. If we DO certain things, love for God will flourish. Love for God should be nurtured and cherished.
1. Know God personally – Love grows from knowing who God is. Knowing God is deliberately seeking to understand his character. This comes by making a deliberate effort to study the Bible through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We ought to pray daily to establish a strong relationship with God. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). How can we love God whom we do not know? (John 5:39, 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
2. To obey God’s commandments – One day Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience is a mark for love if it comes without any obligation. Knowing and obeying God’s commandments helps to establish a loving relationship with God.
3. Trust God completely – How possibly can one love someone untrustworthy? True love comes with complete trust. Because our God is completely faithful, He should earn our absolute love and faithfulness (Proverbs 3:5-6).
4. To worship and praise God – Our relationship with God will grow if we cultivate an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness. Appreciation is a positive attitude which builds strong relationships. Worship is an expression of love (Psalm 100:2).
5. Love fellow human beings – Loving others is the litmus test that we love God (1 John 4:20). The love we demonstrate towards others illustrates the love of God in our hearts. ““The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” – Matthew 25:40
6. Surrender everything to God – Loving God means putting Him first (Matthew 22:37). God should come first in every aspect of our lives. Love for God is worth sacrificing all that we are and that we have for Him.
7. Desire to be in his presence – Spending time in the presence of God helps to establish a loving relationship with Him. “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” – Psalms 27:4 (NIV).
"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
One thing I have learned in writing academic papers is that you always go to the source. Today's lesson focuses on what Jesus says in Matthew. But he was quoting from the Old Testament. So here is the Old Testament source material including a bit of context:
The New Testament is full of Old Testament theology.
I put to you a question. What is the MOST important human right? The United Nations list at least 29, including the:
1. Right to equality
2. Right to life, liberty, and security
3. Right to fair trial
4. Right to privacy
5. Right to own property
6. Right to seek asylum
7. Right to marry and have a family
8. Right to education
9. Right to equal protection under the law
How will you answer? Selecting one of these as the MOST important may somehow undermine the importance of the others. A more prudent response would be to uphold all instead of one. For example, you could summarize all the laws with this: The FIRST is the right to personal dignity (every human being has inherent worth), and the SECOND is the right to justice (everyone must be treated fairly, regardless of who they are and where they are from). On these two do the others hang. Taking this position will avoid alienating a group that may uphold one human right over the other.
This was exactly the wise approach that Jesus took when they tried to draw him into a controversy about which law was the most important. This would likely alienate some groups, as they had over 600 Mosaic laws and argued among themselves which one was the greatest. With divine wisdom he upheld all the laws with a simple answer: “The FIRST is to love God with all your soul, heart and mind, and the SECOND is to love your neighbor as yourself.”
When we decide on one God, He teaches us to cling to Him. Doing His will becomes the most essential thing.
The principle of love flows through all the commandments. Love for God and love to man. We sometimes forget that we have to obey all 10 commandments because in breaking one we have broken all. Our destiny is determined by obeying the whole law. God help us!
If all our actions and doctrines do not lead us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, then they miss the core purpose of true faith. Jesus himself emphasized that these two commandments are the foundation of all the law and the prophets. If our beliefs and practices do not cultivate love for God and others, they become empty and of no lasting value. Christianity is not just about following rules or holding certain beliefs; it is about transforming our hearts to live in loving relationship with God and with others. Without love, everything else loses its true meaning.
'About the Importance of Living God’s Command to Love' -
Why is 'love God with all our heart' - expressing this love through the way we treat others - an indispensible imperative for a Christian? It seems that we often focus more on correctly interpreting Scripture than on genuinely committing ourselves to kindness and fairness toward our fellow man - so loving God.
If we believe that humans are endowed with free will to make their own choices and actions, why do we refer to God’s directives as “commandments,” as if they leave us no choice? Considering the rich man in Scripture — he had reached a point where Jesus could reveal to him the significance of wholeheartedly loving God and showing kindness and generosity to others, however that might manifest.
To better understand 'commandment', I searched the phrase: “Under what circumstances can one give a commandment?” AI’s response was:
“In a religious context, a commandment is typically given by a deity or a figure of authority representing a higher power, and it is generally understood as a rule or instruction that should be followed for the benefit of the individual or the community.” I take this to mean that our focus ought to be on the “benefit” not the ”obedience” by following God's directives.
This aligns with my understanding: God's commandments are not restrictions but guidance — wisdom to show man God's Way for life. In the excerpt, Ellen G. White commented that 'Christ presented the only terms that would allow the rich man to develop a Christian character.' She described Jesus' words as words of wisdom — yet, she also used the word ‘obeying’, which seems to imply obligation rather than choice. This can be confusing.
I see God’s commandments as the Light of the Holy Spirit given to guide the believer's sanctification. Rather than enforcing rigid rules, God shares His Wisdom with us, hoping that, out of love for Him, we choose to willingly follow His Way.
Ultimately, how our relationship with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father unfolds is up to the dynamics of our interactions - the more loving dedication, the closer we are to experiencing the Spirit of God's Love.
God meets us where we are, inviting us to live in His Kingdom as the Holy Spirit teaches us His Way — Jesus, the Truth, and the Life — given to us to to have our being in Father - John 14:6.
"If we don't give up our sinfull ways," our stubbornness will lead to the loss of the benefits of having a Saviour to save us.
Ok, what are we saying here. Christ is yearning to be in all four chambers of our heart, why don't you let Him come in?
In Christ Object Lessons Chapter 20---Gain That is Loss. It says: about Luke 12:13-21.
To live for self is to perish. Covetousness, the desire of benefit for self's sake, cuts the soul off from life. It is the spirit of Satan to get, to draw to self. It is the spirit of Christ to give, to sacrifice self for the good of others. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11, 12. COL 258.4 - COL 259.1
Lets look at what Christ said from Mark's aspect.
Mark 12:31 ESV
[31] The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."
So back to Luke 12:13-21.
If the gentleman who had asked Christ to allow him to take up his cross and follow Him, I do believe he would not have asked Christ the question he did.
Christ says come unto Me all you who labor and I will give you rest. Ok, that is how I want to avoid eternal ruin. Psychologist say, "if you want long enough, you will get."
Psalms 119:19-20. Let us want Christ or if you prefer be consumed(let Him in) with Christ.