the greatest commandment

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WHAT MATTERS THE WHAT MATTERS THE MOST MOST Matthew 24:34-40 Matthew 24:34-40

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Page 1: The greatest commandment

WHAT MATTERS WHAT MATTERS THE MOSTTHE MOST

Matthew 24:34-40Matthew 24:34-40

Page 2: The greatest commandment

Matthew 24:34-40Matthew 24:34-40

““But when the Pharisees heard that He had But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together. And one of them, a themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" And He said to commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole these two commandments depend the whole Law and the ProphetsLaw and the Prophets." ."

Page 3: The greatest commandment

Matthew 24:34-40Matthew 24:34-40

““But when the Pharisees heard that He had But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together. And one of them, a themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" And He said to commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mindall your mind. This is the great and foremost . This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, commandment. The second is like it, 'You 'You shall love your neighbor as yourselfshall love your neighbor as yourself.' On .' On these two commandments depend the whole these two commandments depend the whole Law and the ProphetsLaw and the Prophets." ."

Page 4: The greatest commandment

If we want to really If we want to really understand the Bible understand the Bible then we have to read then we have to read

it in its properit in its proper

CONTEXTCONTEXT

Page 5: The greatest commandment

Verses often used out of Verses often used out of contextcontext

John 1:9 “I stand at the door and John 1:9 “I stand at the door and knock…”knock…”

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”am God”

Matthew 18:29 “If two or three are Matthew 18:29 “If two or three are gathered in my name I am in the gathered in my name I am in the midst of them” midst of them”

Page 6: The greatest commandment

I. What is happening I. What is happening here?here?

TestedTested - The enemies of Jesus has - The enemies of Jesus has only plan and that is trap him and only plan and that is trap him and eventually put him away for good.eventually put him away for good.

OpposedOpposed– The enemies would like – The enemies would like bring down Jesusbring down Jesus

Being TrappedBeing Trapped – expert in the Jewish – expert in the Jewish law came up with a “question”law came up with a “question”

Page 7: The greatest commandment

"Teacher, which is the greatest "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"commandment in the Law?"

Exodus 20:1-17Exodus 20:1-17 The law is the The law is the basisbasis of the of the

relationship between God and relationship between God and His people IsraelHis people Israel

The Law is The Law is centralcentral to the Jewish to the Jewish consciousnessconsciousness

Page 8: The greatest commandment

From 10 Laws, it was From 10 Laws, it was expanded to 613 expanded to 613

laws, and it seems laws, and it seems Jesus summarized Jesus summarized

everything intoeverything into2 Laws2 Laws

Page 9: The greatest commandment

II. What does it mean to II. What does it mean to truly love God?truly love God?

Jesus answered beyond what was Jesus answered beyond what was asked.asked.

Page 10: The greatest commandment

Matthew 24:34-40Matthew 24:34-40

““But when the Pharisees heard that He had But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together. And one of them, a themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the greatest "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" And He said to commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mindall your mind. This is the great and foremost . This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, commandment. The second is like it, 'You 'You shall love your neighbor as yourselfshall love your neighbor as yourself.' On .' On these two commandments depend the whole these two commandments depend the whole Law and the ProphetsLaw and the Prophets." ."

Page 11: The greatest commandment

II. What does it mean to II. What does it mean to truly love God?truly love God?

He wanted the people to He wanted the people to understand beyond the letters of understand beyond the letters of the Lawthe Law

““You shall love the Lord your God You shall love the Lord your God with with all your heartall your heart, and with , and with all your all your soulsoul, and with , and with all your mindall your mind.”.”

Page 12: The greatest commandment

““With all your heart”With all your heart”

The average human The average human heart, beating at 72 heart, beating at 72 beats per minute, beats per minute,

will beat will beat approximately 2.5 approximately 2.5 billion times during billion times during

an average lifespanan average lifespan..

Page 13: The greatest commandment

““With all your soul”With all your soul”

The soul is the The soul is the immaterial or the immaterial or the

spiritual part of man spiritual part of man that survives deaththat survives death

Gen. 2:7: “…and the Gen. 2:7: “…and the man came to be a man came to be a

living soul.”living soul.”

Page 14: The greatest commandment

““With all your mind”With all your mind”

Our relationship Our relationship with God is not just with God is not just an emotional an emotional experience but also experience but also choice.choice.

There are around There are around 10,000,000,000 10,000,000,000 nerve cellsnerve cells

Page 15: The greatest commandment

This means making This means making God the God the

FOCUSFOCUS

Of our Life and Of our Life and ExistenceExistence

Page 16: The greatest commandment

III. What really is the III. What really is the point here?point here?

““You shall love your neighbor as You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”yourself.”

What an earthshaking What an earthshaking commandments which tells us feel commandments which tells us feel what others feelwhat others feel

This means having the willingness This means having the willingness to tear off our skin and wrap it to tear off our skin and wrap it around another person.around another person.

Page 17: The greatest commandment

By Nature we are…By Nature we are…

self-preservingself-preserving

self-enhancingself-enhancing

self-exaltingself-exalting

self-advancingself-advancing

Very Selfish Very Selfish

Page 18: The greatest commandment

For something very For something very selfless to happen selfless to happen

something something SUPERNATURALSUPERNATURAL

has to happenhas to happen

Page 19: The greatest commandment

Romans 8:4Romans 8:4

““in order that the righteous in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be requirements of the law might be

fully met in us, who do not live fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the sinful nature but

according to the Spirit.”according to the Spirit.”

God has to do it God has to do it through usthrough us!!

Page 20: The greatest commandment

ConclusionConclusion Jesus said Jesus said

something something astonishing hereastonishing here

““On these two On these two commandments commandments

depend the whole depend the whole Law and the Law and the Prophets.“Prophets.“

Literally it means Literally it means “hanging”“hanging”

Page 21: The greatest commandment

ConclusionConclusion

Understand that true love involves Understand that true love involves the total personthe total person

All the commandments can only be All the commandments can only be truly accomplished in the context of truly accomplished in the context of True LoveTrue Love

Loving others is the external and Loving others is the external and the visible of what it is to really love the visible of what it is to really love GodGod