NO MORE QUESTIONS
Opening Prayer
What things have taken over in importance for you this week? Pray that they are moved down the list to make way for love.
Read Matthew 22:34–46
The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’
45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
Love has to be at the center of Christian living: God’s love for us and our love for God.The Pharisees have taken advantage of Jesus arguing with the Sadducees to think up another tricky question: “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (36).
Jesus more or less quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, one of the Old Testament’s most important summary verses about anything, known in Judaism as the shema (meaning “hear”: “Hear O Israel …!”). Turns out: it is all about love. Love God with everything you have. All of the gospels agree on that, even if they list “with all your heart, soul and mind (and strength)” in different orders. After all, the Old Testament version basically said, “all your everythingness.” And the same with loving your neighbor.
In Luke 10:29 that is a cue for the parable of the good Samaritan: “And who is my neighbor?” But here in Matthew, Jesus’ work of arguing is done. He has just about silenced their questions. “No one dared to ask him any more questions” (46).
Apply
In the cross of Jesus, God lavished his infinite love on you. Do something this weekend that shows that love to your neighbor, and love God with “all your everythingness” as you do it.
Closing prayer
Father, may love be the center of my existence—love for You and love for others.
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