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“THE FIRST AND
GREAT COMMANDMENT”
Matthew 22:34-40
D C F ~ 12
November 2006
><> Matthew 22 in
perspective <><
1-14 ~ Parable of
Wedding Feast/Garment spoken to all
present.
15-22 ~ Pharisees plot to
entangle Jesus in His speech…
bring up the
tax issue…”Whose likeness?”
23-33 ~ Sadducees want a
discussion of resurrection and
marriage
predicament.
34-40 ~The Pharisees’
turn again…a lawyer testing Jesus
regarding the
greatest commandment.
41-45 ~ Jesus quizzes the
Pharisees about David and
Jesus—end result: NO more
questions FOR NOW!
><> We want to
emphasized vss. 34-40, but we must begin with verse 29:
The absolute essentiality of KNOW- ING the
SCRIPTURES and POWER OF GOD!!!!!
* You ERR =
stray, wander, deceive
* KNOW =
oi]da
= perception and
understanding
* POWER =
dunamij
=awesome might and power
Without an understanding
of the Bible and embracing its absolute truths, we go
astray
à weird doctrines
and re- quirements, etc.
><> The Pharisees were
rejoicing that Jesus had “put the Sadducees in their
place.” The Sadducees reject the idea of RESURRECTION,
which is a big item in Pharisaism. So they think that
Jesus might be “on their side.” A lawyer (expert in
Mosaic law) sets about to objectively test Jesus:
“Which is the GREAT commandment IN THE LAW?” He was
expecting perhaps; keeping the law, circumcision,
titing, etc. Jesus’ answer may have thrown him off
his guard.
><> The Gospel is
simple—and Jesus masterfully pro- claims the simple
truthàLOVE God and LOVE people! That’s it! That’s all there is! Some 30
years later, Paul warned; “I fear that you are led
astray from the simplicity in Christ…” [2 Cor. 11:3]
LOVE the LORD your God with your whole being AND LOVE
your neighbor as yourself. All else is mere details.
Yet the church through the ages has complicated the
simple gospel with additions; circum-cision, baptismal
formulae, running water, candles, incense, fasting,
tithing, speaking in tongues, etc. as re- quirements for
salvation.
><> Look at Jesus’
answer:
*
FIRST…older than the 10 commandments. It is set in the
heart of God and in His creation. It was the rule in
Eden. This is the commandment inscribed on the heart of
every person…cf. Jer. 31:33. This FIRST commandment
deals with man and God. Due to a failure to embrace and
live by this FIRST commandment necessitated all the
others…
* GREAT…In
this commandment are embodied all the other commands.
In giving this answer, Jesus foiled this attempt at
snaring Him as He brought the issue back to its
origin…back to God, not Moses.
* The LORD =
YAHWEH, the God of Covenant
* Your God =
ELOHIM, the Sovereign God
><> Part I ~ Imposition
of duty upon us—Here is the call of God to His creation:
LOVE God with ALL your being. No neglecting or
despising of God—but love, adore, worship, and own Him
GOD! Cf. Rom. 1:21—a perverse life deve- lops when God
is not honored as God! Our God is God and there is NO
other!!!
><> Part II ~ How much
we love God is measured by how much we love His
creation, His people. Cf. I John 5:1; “…everyone who
loves the Father loves whoever has been begotten of
Him!” If we love God we WILL love His people / If we
don’t love people, we DON’T love God!
><> Pharisaism is alive
and well. Religiously doing all the right things
without a living, vital relationship with “the LORD our
God!” It is not the keeping of the 10 command- ments
that is at issue but the living in the FIRST and GREAT
commandment…written on our heart, our very gut! To
violate this command you have to fight God at the very
core of your being! Live rather in your oneness with
Him!
- Dr. Marvin Isum
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