They were sure they had Him. Their question was direct, yet any answer Y’shua Jesus gave would be wrong. How Jesus responded to the trick question is helpful to us. His response is layered, so we will reflect in two segments. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Matthew 22:37-39 CEB
[37] He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind.
[38] This is the first and greatest commandment.
[39] And the second is like it: You must love your neighbour as you love yourself.
The Greatest Commandment
It is said that Muhammed Ali had one mantra that kept him going. He referred to himself as ‘The Greatest’. As a boxer, this was perhaps a very necessary part of His routine. It boasted his morale and also served as part of his intimidation routine long before his opponent entered the boxing ring. Many would say it worked, as Muhammed Ali was considered the greatest boxer for a long time. Some commended his tactics, and others thought it was egotistical. But maybe he was simply speaking greatness over his life to cover his own fears.
I thought of Muhammed Ali’s mantra as I reflected on Y’shua’s Part A response to the expert Pharisee. His first words were ‘love the Lord, Your God, with all …’. Given that Y’shua is God incarnate, would the crowd have heard His response as egotistical? For if they saw Y’shua as a self-proclaimed messiah, would they have perceived His choice of the greatest commandment in that way?
Self-Check
In describing ourselves, could we be construed as egotistical? Why/not?
Application
Let’s not get misguided by the analogy. Though he may have been the greatest boxer, Muhammed Ali was not God. But Jesus is God.
The legal expert asked Jesus a chicken or egg question. Jesus gave an egg and chicken response. In that reference to love, Y’shua described a deep, all-encompassing manner of worship. Knowing His identity, He knew the truth: that loving God is humanity’s foremost priority. There is absolutely nothing more important for any believer than that. I don’t think there’s any religion that places love for one’s deity as lower than anything else.
The very first commandment Moses shared with the Children of Israel began with a preamble that spoke to YHWH’s sovereignty, but more so to YHWH as Saviour. YHWH, Moses, and the Children of Israel’s I AM, took them out of enslavement into abundant life. As Saviour, God asked for a relationship rather than assert ownership. ‘Love no other gods’, said YHWH.
One could say, therefore, that Jesus’s response was existential. You know Who God is to you, respond with love. When you respond to God’s love, with that all-encompassing love, then you’ve nailed it. That is the best way to honour God’s commandments.
That is exactly true for you and me, siblings. When we consider all that God has done for us, beginning with the gift of life, we must respond with love. An all encompassing love that permeates our entire being and radiates to the world. A love that puts God first in all things at all times. A love that is natural, not routine, and love that is equally unconditional. No, no one could argue that it was the greatest commandment.
Point to Ponder
Of course, love that intense could result in us being ‘Heaven-bound, but up to no earthly good’. We shall unpack that part tomorrow, God permitting. Until then let’s practice that kind of love for God.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
