A Lawyer Asks About the Great Commandment.
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a 38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a {b 31 The} second a like unto it b is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. [Love is the cure for sin, for we can not sin against those whom we truly love. Where we love, we desire to bless. But sin always carries with it a willingness to injure or to curse.] There is none other commandment greater than these.
a 40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.
[The generic nature of the law of love is also noted by Paul ( Romans 13:8-10 ); but love without law is not sufficient. Love begets a desire to bless, but the law guides to the accomplishment of that desire. Perfect righteousness is the result of wisdom as well as affection. Love without law is power without direction, and law without love is machinery without a motor-- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 .]a 40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.
b 32 And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he:
33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.
[Here, as in the preceding subdivision, the answer of Jesus was so clearly right that it enforced admiration.]33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. [Prejudice is the great obstacle to entering the kingdom. In proportion as we overcome it we draw near to God.] And no man after that durst
[They found it expedient to keep silence when their questions only exposed their own shallowness, and made more conspicuous the supreme wisdom of Jesus.]