When reporters or talk show hosts interview a public figure that they are opposed to, they frequently try to entrap them into saying something that will make them look bad in the eyes of the public. They may not come across as overtly argumentative, but their motives are none the less sinister. Jesus occasionally found Himself in a similar situation with His enemies. Our Gospel reading today details one such time. Let’s read the passage and see how He answered His adversaries.
As our Scripture opens, both the Pharisees and Sadducees had tried to entangle Jesus in religious arguments, attempting to turn the people against Him, or even get Him to speak some words that they could charge as blasphemy. Now a scribe (a supposed expert in the Jewish religious Law) thought he would take a shot at entrapping Jesus with a Biblical or religious question (vs. 28). If this scribe could come up with something where, no matter how Jesus answered He would be in hot water, then he would have Him, and they could bring Him down. So this scribe came up to Jesus and asked Him a question. Both Matthew and Luke indicate that he was not sincere in his questioning, but was trying to trap Jesus (Matthew 22:35; Luke 10:25).
The scribe asked Jesus which of the Jewish Laws in the Old Testament was the greatest. There were approximately 613 laws given in the Old Testament. The various scribes, rabbis, Pharisees, and Sadducees would often argue among themselves as to their order of greatness and importance. Each group felt that some laws were more important than the other, and even among themselves the groups didn’t always agree. This scribe was trying to get Jesus to incriminate Himself by picking any certain law above the others. The scribe felt that no matter what way Jesus would answer, He would get someone angry.
Jesus, though, is God, and the Bible is His Word. He couldn’t entrap Jesus with His own Word! Jesus didn’t try to come up with some snappy answer. Instead, He used God’s own Word to answer the question. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 to the scribe (vs. 29), a portion of Scripture that devout Jews would recite every day. This same thought is also found in Deuteronomy 10:12, and 30:6. Jesus said to love the Lord God with all of our heart is the greatest commandment of God’s Law (vs. 30).
Jesus didn’t stop there, though (vs. 31). He took the scribe’s question one step further with a second commandment, and quoted from Leviticus 19:18. Genuine love for God is followed by a genuine love for other people. If someone truly loves God, they will show love and concern for others. On the other hand, though, caring for people without love for God is an empty shell, and ultimately worthless.
The Savior showed here that rather than tallying up all 613 Jewish laws, from the most important to the least, they could all be summed up with two laws. God’s laws are not burdensome, with trying to keep track of hundreds, and seeing if we have fulfilled each one. They can be reduced to two simple principles - love for God and love for others. When we love God completely, and care for others as we care for ourselves, then we have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and other Old Testament laws. These two commandments that Jesus gave to the scribe summarized all of God’s laws.
The scribe, though originally intending to trap Jesus, was impressed with His wise and true answer (vs. 32-33). Jesus then gave the scribe a challenge (vs. 34). Even though this man knew and understood his Scripture, he was not saved. He was not yet in the Kingdom. He needed to take that final step, and accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Many may know plenty of facts about the Bible, even having memorized plenty of verses, yet they still are not in the Kingdom, just like this scribe wasn’t. Would that describe some of you? You may have read the Bible, know certain things, and can recite some verses. You are “not far from the kingdom of God”, but not yet in, as Jesus described the scribe. Take that final step today. Confess your sins, realizing that there is nothing that you can do on your own to merit heaven, and accept the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior. Don’t linger just outside the Kingdom, but come in through the only way, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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