232. The Greatest Commandment!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-37

Key Verse: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and, "love your neighbor as yourself."

Luke 10:27

Interesting how each gospel bills this a little differently.  Is this the greatest commandment, as in Matthew, or the most important commandment, as in Mark, or the way to eternal life, as in Luke?  Perhaps it is safe to say that it is all of the above.

It was a question posed by an "expert in the law," to test Jesus. It is interesting that Jesus didn't exactly quote the first commandment which is " You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) Instead, Jesus quoted part of the Shema, which was said every day in every observant Jewish home, based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and thus would be very familiar to His audience. Then he takes it a bit further by adding Leviticus 19:18, "and love your neighbor as yourself."  Next Jesus adds a bit of commentary, "All the laws and the prophets hang on these two commands." (Matthew 22:40) In saying this, Jesus has actually covered all ten of the commandments, the first four being the vertical ones which concentrate on our relationship with God, and the last six which concentrate on our relationship with our fellow man.

But then, Luke tells us that this expert, "In order to justify himself, or, like most lawyers, looking for the loop hole, asks the question, "Who is my neighbor?" He never expected the answer he received.

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho," Jesus began. We never learn this man's nationality. He was going down to Jericho. Jericho is downhill from Jerusalem.  The man fell victim to some robbers. Note, we never learn their nationality either. The robbers stripped the man of his clothing and other possessions. Now, since Jews, Samaritans, Arabs and Romans all dressed differently, when the victim was stripped, all indications of his ethnic identity have been removed. In other words, it doesn’t matter where he comes from or who he is, what we have here is simply a man who is in bad need of help.

The Jews pass by first in the form of a Priest and a Levite, both religious, and both with excuses why they “can’t” help.  Then, the hated, half breed Samaritan comes along and takes pity on the man. He cleanses and bandages the man's wounds and gets him to shelter. He even pays in advance for the man's care before continuing on his way.

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

"The one who had mercy on him," replied the expert in the law.

"Go and do likewise." Jesus challenged. That's how you fulfill the greatest commandment, is Jesus' implied answer. (Luke 10:36-37)

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) The religious often know this in their heads, but do not live it in their hearts. Jesus is looking for those who will go out of their way, as He did, to become living examples of His kind of love for humanity no matter what their nationality or background. All are created in His image. All are our neighbors. The question for us is, are we a good neighbor in return?

Jesus said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Make us more like You, O Lord so that we too may be drawn into your kingdom.

Hymn: "O the Deep, Deep Love OfJesus"