Keep in mind, as we read and interpret what occurred, just prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, when all the Jewish authorities gathered together to test Jesus, the same kind of thing was being done to the national Passover lamb. The Pascal Lamb was chosen on the tenth day of the month. It was continually inspected by the authorities for flaws and blemishes from the 10th day of the month, until it was sacrificed on the 14th of the month. Spiritually speaking, this is exactly what was happening to Jesus, from the moment of his arrival in Jerusalem on the ninth day of the month.
On that day, he cast the money changers out of the Temple for the first time that year, when he arrived in the afternoon. Afterward, he left for Bethany, where Martha had prepared a meal for him (John 12:1-2). He spent the evening there, and in the morning, which was the weekly Sabbath, pilgrims kept coming to see the one who had raised Lazarus from the dead (John 12:9-11). During the following two days, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem and cast out those who bought and sold in the Temple two more times, for a total of three times in three business days. Each time that Jesus did these things, he was scrutinized by the Jewish authorities, looking for some mistake on his part, whereby he could be arrested and executed.
The Pharisees who “went their way” (Matthew 22:22) were, nevertheless, still within the Temple compound, and when they had seen that Jesus had put down or silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together to reason among themselves over what had just occurred. Then, one of them approached Jesus, not one of “their disciples” who were sent previously (Matthew 22:15-16). This one was a rabbi himself, a scribe, according to Mark (Mark 12:28), and a lawyer, according to Matthew, vis-à-vis he was well educated and skilled in the Law of Moses (Matthew 22:34-35).[1] Matthew claims he came to tempt Jesus (Matthew 22:35), but Mark says he came, implying on his own (not sent by the group), as he was listening to the group of Pharisees reasoning together. This scribe, understanding that Jesus had done well in his discussion with the Sadducees (Mark 12:28), approached him with a question.
Six months earlier, when Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jewish authorities wondered over his knowledge of the Law, because they admitted that he was never schooled by any of them (John 7:14-15).[2] Perhaps, in this context, the scribe came to Jesus and asked, “Which is the great commandment of the Law?” (Matthew 22:35-36). So, although he was testing Jesus (Matthew 22:35), it may not have been with evil intent in mind (cp. Matthew 22:18). Perhaps he wanted to understand the depth of Jesus’ knowledge, similar to what a rabbi might do to test one of his disciples.
Jesus began his reply, according to Mark with the Jews’ Shema[3] from Deuteronomy 6:4 and went on to the command in Deuteronomy 6:5 (Mark 12:29-30), but Matthew quotes only the command, saying – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:38), because it has to do with mankind’s relationship with God. However, Jesus also added the second greatest commandment, vis-à-vis “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” quoted from Leviticus 19:18 (Matthew 22:39). Jesus concluded by saying these two commandments are the greatest of all others, because all other commandments hang on mankind’s obedience to these two. If man doesn’t love God, he will not obey him, and if he doesn’t love his neighbor, he will eventually abuse him in order to please himself, whenever his hopes are opposed to that of his neighbor.
[1] Some scholars wonder if this man wasn’t Paul. Surely, if he was living in Jerusalem at the time, he would have heard and seen Jesus. While he didn’t know him intimately, he must have known of him, and had an opinion about him.
[2] How did Jesus know “letters” simply means, how did he know writings. It’s a figure of speech, metonymy, whereby one name or noun is substituted for another. In other words, the Jewish authorities wondered how Jesus knew, what is written in the Law so well, since no one, they knew, ever taught him.
[3] The Shema is a prayer, observant Jews repeat daily. Mark’s use of it here makes sense of the scribe’s reply to Jesus in Mark 12:32-33 “for there is one God, and none other but he, and to love him…” There is no mention of “one God” in Jesus’ quote of the first or second commandment. The scribe’s mention of one God makes sense, only if Jesus prefaced the commandment with the Shema.
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