Most Important Commandments

²⁸ One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” ²⁹ Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. ³⁰ And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” ³² The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. ³³ And I know it is important to love Him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” ³⁴ Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask Him (Jesus) any more questions. Mark 12:28-34 (NLT)

After the Sadducees failed to trap Jesus regarding the resurrection, one of the teachers of the religious law (scribe or lawyer) who was standing there listening to Jesus and the Sadducees debating realized that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer (Mark 12:28; see also Matthew 22:34). In Mark’s Gospel, the religious teacher showed respect for Jesus’ wisdom and His answer given to the Sadducees regarding the resurrection (Mark 12:28). However, Matthew’s Gospel stated when the Pharisees heard that He [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees with His reply, they met together to question Jesus once more (Matthew 22:34). One of the Pharisees was an expert in religious law, and he tried to trap and test Jesus with a question (Matthew 22:35).

The religious teacher (scribe or lawyer) asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28, TLB; see also Matthew 22:36). According to Mark’s Gospel, the religious teacher’s question was a serious question and not an attempt to discredit Jesus. For the centuries, the Jewish religious teachers had been debating the issue of the most important commandments. By Jesus’ time, the Jewish religious teachers believed the Law of Moses contained 613 commandments (laws). Some of these laws were negative commands while others were positive commands. The Jewish religious teachers were constantly weighing these 613 laws as greater (heavy) and lesser (light) commandments. However, the error behind this approach was obvious: one needed only to break one law to be guilty before God (see Matthew 5:19; Galatians 3:10-10). “A person who follows all of God’s law but fails to obey even one command is guilty of breaking all the commands in that law” (James 2:10, NCV).

To resolve this debate, Jesus summarized all of God’s laws by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18 found in the Old Testament law. (Jesus was Jewish). Jesus taught the religious teacher the first and most important commandment, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only God and you must love Him with all your heart and soul (life) and mind (intellect) and strength” (Mark 12:29-30, TLB; see also Matthew 22:37-38, Luke 10:27, quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is part of the Shema, used by all Jews in their daily prayers and confession of faith. Then, Jesus taught the religious teacher the second and equally important commandment, “You must love others as much as yourself” (Mark 12:31, TLB; see also Matthew 22:39, quoting Leviticus 19:18). This love for others includes our enemies too (see Mark 5:43-44; Luke 6:35; John 13:34-35) by loving others through good deeds and actions (e.g., see Matthew 5:14-16; Galatians 5:14, 22-23; Colossians 3:12-14; 1 John 3:16-18). Many biblical scholars have noted that Jesus’ simple teaching summarized the two halves of the Ten Commandments (duty to God and duty to our neighbor). Love demonstrates the true reality of our salvation (John 13:34-35; see also Romans 5:5; 1 John 3:14; 1 John 4:20-21).

With these two Old Testament quotes, Jesus taught the religious teacher there are no other commandments greater than these two commandments (Mark 12:31). These two commandments summarize the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament moral laws (Matthew 22:40; see also Matthew 7:12; Romans 13:10). The law demands our wholehearted devotion to God and genuine love for one’s neighbor. When you love God wholeheartedly and care for others in need, then we have fulfilled the original intent of the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament laws (see John 13:34-35; Romans 13:8-10; Colossians 3:14; James 2:8). If we sincerely love God, we will experience His love within and will express that love towards others. Acting in self-giving love towards God and others is obeying God’s deepest demands (Matthew 5:17-20). According to Jesus, these two commandments are joined and cannot be separated (see also 1 John 4:20-21).

The teacher of religion (scribe) replied to Jesus, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He and to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:32-33, NKJV). Realizing the religious teacher’s response, Jesus said to the teacher, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34, TLB). Jesus discerned (recognized) that the religious teacher’s heart was sincere and honest as he publicly agreed with Jesus’s teaching (Mark 12:32-33). Not all of the Pharisees were hypocrites. After that, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions (Mark 12:34).

As a side note, we are also to love Jesus with all our hearts, all our mind, and all our strength because Jesus is God incarnate (human flesh) (e.g., see John 1:1-5, 14; Colossians 1:15, 19-20; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus is part of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and Jesus deserves our love, devotion, and allegiance. 

Amazingly, Jesus’ summary of the Law of Moses is essentially the same answer given by the Jews in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophets repeatedly taught that there was more to the Jewish religion than offering sacrifices, religious rituals, and keeping laws (e.g., see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6-8; Psalm 51:16-17; Psalm 141:1-2; Isaiah 1:11-17; Jeremiah 7:22-23; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-23; Micah 6:6-8). Even more, the New Testament Epistles agree with Jesus’ teaching (e.g., Hebrews 10:5-8). If we love God, we will also love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 7:12; 1 John 3:10-18; 4:7-21). God wants our compassion, fairness, and mercy towards others as well as our total allegiance and obedience to Him as the only true and living God (see Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 4:35; Deuteronomy 5:7-10; Deuteronomy 10:12; Isaiah 33:15; Isaiah 45:21; Amos 5:4; Micah 6:6-8; Habakkuk 2:4). Where there is a real love for God and others in our hearts, there will be service and obedience (see John 14:21; John 15:10). We do not live by rules but by relationships, a loving relationship to God that enables us to have a loving relationship with others. We are to walk in love in all of our relationships (Galatians 5:14; Ephesians 5:2). For Jesus, one cannot fulfill the requirements of the Shema in rituals or sacrifice without a wholehearted love of God complemented by a genuine love of others (see also 1 John 4:7-12). A right relationship with God will lead to a moral relationship with others.

The events described in Matthew and Mark’s Gospels are similar to an event described in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 10:25-37; see also Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34). However, Luke’s Gospel describes a different conversation with an “expert in the law” who asked Jesus how “to inherit eternal life” (see Luke 10:25). Jesus informed the “expert in the law” that loving God and loving others brings life (Luke 10:27-28; see also Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22). God’s requirement for eternal life is to love Him wholeheartedly and to love your neighbor as much as yourself.

Our love for others as Jesus commanded includes loving all people of other ethnicities, sexualities, and religions (see Luke 10:29-37). In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught the importance of showing compassion, kindness, and mercy to all people in need regardless of race, creed, or social backgrounds (see also Luke 6:27-35; John 15:12; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:10-11). Love of others knows no national boundaries. God requires His people to show mercy and forgiveness, even to strangers, aliens, and enemies (e.g., Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:4-5, 9; Leviticus 19:33-34; Micah 6:8). Giving unselfish and unlimited assistance to others in need is true love in action (1 John 3:17-20).

⁴ Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love does not want what it does not have. Love does not strut, does not have a swelled head, ⁵ does not force itself on others, is not always “Me first,” does not fly off the handle, does not keep score of the sins of others, ⁶ does not celebrate when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, ⁷ puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (MSG)

References

Disciple's Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1988).

Life Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005).

Life Essentials Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2011).

Ryrie Study Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1995).

Zondervan NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008).

The Holy Bible NIV 2011 (Grand Rapids, MI: Biblica, 2011).

The Living Bible (Tyndale House, 1971).

Loyd, Melton, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament (Due West, SC: Erskine Theological Seminary, 2015).

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament (Victor Books, 1989).