In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus answering a question that was posed to him by a Lawyer” Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
(It is interesting that Jesus gave a horizontal and a vertical answer to this question. Based on how Jesus answered, he wants us to acknowledge our father which is in heaven, not only from the point of his existence but, from a point of gratitude. When we remember how the Lord taught his disciples to pray the first line of that prayer was “our father which art in heaven, hollowed be thy name.” Matthew 6:9.
Jesus wants us at all times to show love and reverence to our Heavenly Father. Then look at what Jesus said in Matthew 22:39 “And the second is like unto it, thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself”.
What a great world it would be if we put these two commandments into practice. Let’s ask the question who is my neighbor? It is commonly believed it is the person living next to us but, the scripture guides us to believe that our neighbor is someone we meet in the supermarket, in the mall, on the street, in the bus, on the play field or at a sporting event. Someone who we are meeting for the first time. Jesus is saying that the very same way we love ourselves we are to show them that same love.
Then Jesus strengthens the answer even more when he said on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Jesus is telling us, that every revelation from God is grounded in love for humanity. No wonder
we have the quote from John 3:16 “For God so love the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but, have everlasting life “.
Let us try our best to return this love to God).
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