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Matthew 22:34-40
The Law was given to man with the intention that it would lead man to realize and understand his need for God’s help in his life. But the Law was transformed into the likeness of man by man in his quest to pick and choose which laws were more or less important.
In Matthew 22:34-36 the Pharisees had been informed that the Sadducees had not been successful in discounting Jesus, so they came together to form a plan to once again set a trap for Jesus in their quest to trap Jesus in His own words. Matthew 22:35-36 (NKJV) states, “35Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” The answer that Jesus gave may be the greatest teaching that Jesus gave in His earthly ministry as He proclaims in Matthew 22:37-40, “37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ [Deuteronomy 6:5]. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Leviticus 19:18]. 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
This is a command to put God first in our lives.
This is a command to love our neighbors as ourselves.
If you would like to read the entirety of the Bible; Old Testament and New Testament in two short and simple commands, read Matthew 22:37-40. Put God first in your life and love your neighbor as yourself. If we truly did this we would follow all the other commands, laws, and teachings of Jesus that make up the rest of the Bible. If you want to know why, then you should read the rest of the Bible. Jesus states in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
The Law was given to lead us to the realization and understanding that we need God’s help in our lives. Jesus is that help! What man was unable to accomplish due to the sinful nature in our lives – the attack of Satan against man, God came in His own image – the image that is Jesus Christ to make the sacrifice that opened the door to salvation and a renewed purity of relationship between God and man. It is through Jesus that God gives His filling Holy Spirit into our lives – into our hearts to renew our hearts in the eyes of God through our faith in Him.
If you believe this and have never professed Jesus as your Savior and want to today, follow the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:9-10 as he states, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Dear LORD,
Our prayer today and every day is that we would truly put You first in our lives and love our neighbors as ourselves. Please let it be so LORD. In Jesus name I pray, amen.