Why Are the Greatest Commandments the Greatest?
We all accept the fact that the greatest commandment involves loving God thoroughly—and that the second greatest commandment is loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39). We know that these are the greatest commandments because Jesus said so. But why did He choose these two since there were many others? Why do these two stand out?
One reason might be that both of these commandments involve the highest precept known to man—love. Any fool can hate; it takes no real talent to be offended, to dislike others, to badmouth them, or to seek revenge. Some have grown so adept at this kind of thinking that they begin contemplating getting even before they have investigated a situation thoroughly enough to know if an offense was even intended.
Love, on the other hand, is patient, kind, and several other qualities enumerated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It is much more difficult to bear with situations than to deal with them immediately. Can we even begin to fathom the patience that God has exhibited toward us? How many years went by before we obeyed the gospel? And how many years have elapsed since we first determined to make changes regarding a few areas of our lives (without a whole lot of progress)?
And how often have we offered love to those who did not deserve it? We still recall John 3:16, don’t we? We surely haven’t allowed Romans 5:8 to fall from our memory. Genuine love seeks what is best for others regardless of their treatment toward us (1 Thess. 5:15). It overcomes antagonism, half-heartedness, and indifference.
Jesus’ love can be seen in His love for His disciples. They occasionally fought amongst themselves as to who would be the greatest; now there’s an example of love! Two wanted the positions of honor on His right and left hand. Those same two were called the Sons of Thunder; they wanted to destroy a city rather than save it. They all swore they would never deny Him; yet they fled at the propitious moment. Did Jesus not have sufficient reasons to give up on them? Love bears all things; love endures all things.
Hate has no need of patience; it can strike back immediately—and without much thought, which is the reason that it is usually associated with evil. Revenge is seen in Joab killing Abner because he had killed Joab’s brother, Asahel—in self-defense and after a warning. Joab was still angry, however. He had no justification in dispatching Abner from this earth. It was just one of his sins. Revenge is also seen in Simeon and Levi killing Shechem, the son of Hamor, and the other male inhabitants because he had defiled their sister Dinah. They were not justified in this action; Jacob described them as instruments of cruelty; they were scattered in Israel (Gen. 49:5-7).
An example of the marvelous quality of love, one can look to Joseph who might have felt justified in killing his brothers for the way they treated him. But he did not. He realized they had borne their guilt after all these years; they were men whose hearts had changed; Joseph forgave them. This is the highest, most noble action anyone can exhibit. Because the two commandments Jesus cited as the greatest involve love, there can be no greater.
Versatility of Application
The greatest commandment bids us to love God with all our heart and soul and mind. In reverse order, our commitment involves our intellect, our spirit, and our emotions. If we are totally committed to God with our entire being, then what commandment will we not want to keep? “Oh, I love God, but I must have my graven images.” Really? And why would we even entertain any other so-called deity?
For Israel, this meant they could not take His name in vain. His name is holy and is to be revered. In our society today, it is not difficult to tell who does not belong to either God or Jesus—because their names are frivolously spoken. This is not love. Israel could not skip the Sabbath day because that was a sign between them and God (Ex. 31:14-17).
We too must show our love for God by keeping those things He has commanded us in the Christian era. Do we think we are exempt from Matthew 5:3-12? Or Galatians 5:22-23? Matthew 18:15-17? Matthew 28:19-20? How often have we sung the words: “What He says, we will do. Where He sends we will go”? A few gazillion? Do we really mean it? Jonah stopped singing that song the day he tried to flee to Tarshish.
If we do not keep His commandments, is there not something wrong with our heart? Our way of thinking? Our spirit? Something cannot be quite right if we know the truth but do not do it? Do we know we need to meet each Lord’s day just as the Jews met every Sabbath (Saturday)? Do we know we must honor Him in our speech? Do we know we should not set up idols in our heart, such as the god of Entertainment (1 John 5:21)? We must strive to keep all of God’s commands.
Loving our neighbor as ourself likewise includes a multitude of applications. Consider what Paul wrote:
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Rom. 13:8-9).
Everyone understands what the principle here is. If I truly love my neighbor, I would not steal from him, let alone think about murdering him. Surely, I would not covet what is his—especially his wife (or girlfriend, as in “Jesse’s Girl”). A non-Christian might do such a thing—but not one who loves his neighbor; the two notions contradict each other.
It is not uncommon to put oneself first—and therefore love Self over all others. This is the origin of many sins, as well as the source of many crimes in society. What do people commit murder over? Money. It is not unheard of for a wife to murder her husband for a large life insurance policy on him. In some instances, he is not even aware of said policy.
But sometimes a murder may involve a custody battle. The mother is not about to share her children with her ex. So, she hires someone to kill him—probably claiming that he abused her. When the investigation shows that the ex-wife is guilty, guess what? Neither parent gets to raise the child because he's dead and she’s in prison! In one case, the mother-in-law killed the ex-husband because she was the baby-sitter and did not want to share the child.
Not only do these scenarios show an utter disregard for, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” they stem from selfishness. Our courts are full of cases where one person just wants to have his way—even if it is at the expense of an innocent party.
Members of the body of Christ can fall under the power of these ungodly motivations if they are not careful. Love should never be taken for granted. We should ask ourselves in various circumstances, “How will this action affect my brothers and sisters?” “Will this action have a good effect on the church or a bad one?” Perhaps many problems could be avoided if we asked, “Is this course of action profitable for the church, or am I just trying to impose my will on others?”
Undoubtedly, Jesus wants followers who will put God first and also love one another. Such peaceful conditions do not occur by accident; we must strive for peace, unity, and love.