CRITICAL NOTES
Matthew 22:35. A lawyer.—The precise distinction between the “lawyer” and the other scribes rested, probably, on technicalities that have left little or no trace behind them. The word suggests the thought of a section of the scribes who confined their attention to the law, while the others included in their studies the writings of the prophets or the traditions of the elders also (Plumptre). Tempting Him.—We are not to impute the same sinister motives as actuated those who sent him. He also was, in a certain sense, tempting Jesus, i.e. putting Him to the test, but with no sinister motive (Gibson). (See Mark 12:34).
Matthew 22:36. Which?—The original term is qualitative. It draws attention to the distinctive quality, nature, or essence of the great commandment. Of what nature is the great commandment in the law? What is the essence of the great commandment in the law? (Morison).
Matthew 22:37. Heart … soul … mind.—St. Mark and St. Luke add “strength.” In Deuteronomy 6:5, the words are heart, soul, might. “The words represent different aspects of one substantive entity” (Morison). This great commandment was written on the phylactery which the lawyer was probably wearing (Carr).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Matthew 22:34-40
A “legal” snare.—Once more we find the Pharisees laying a word-trap for the Saviour. They appear to have been stimulated to this fresh effort by hearing that the Sadducees have been silenced (Matthew 22:34). How sweet the hope of at once confounding Him and distancing them! They appear also to have learned wisdom by their previous experience. Not now about the rule of the Romans (Matthew 22:17), but about the law of God do they ask. Not this time in the doubtful company of the Herodians, but by the lips of one of themselves—and he, apparently (Mark 12:32; Mark 12:34), a man of well-deserved repute as an interpreter of that law—do they speak. Very profound, accordingly, and unusually difficult is the question they ask. Equally complete, however, for all this, the reply they receive.
I. The special difficulty of the question asked seems to have lain in more matters than one. It lay, first, in the extreme width of its scope. “Which is the great commandment in the law?” How exceedingly ample the field surveyed by that question! Who can take it all in at one time? It is like asking a man to point out off-hand the most important star in the midnight sky. If he is looking to the north, he is turning his back on the south. If he is giving special attention to this portion he is giving none at all to all others. Who but God can “count the number of the stars?” (Psalms 147:4; see also Numbers 23:10). Not less, next, is the difficulty involved in the exceeding variety of this field. “One star differeth from another star in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:41). So also do the different groups of enactments to be found in God’s law. On how many sides, and in how many ways, do they affect the duty of man? Political and ecclesiastical, ceremonial and moral, domestic and foreign, private and public, social and civil—these are only some of the aspects under which they look at our life. Who can arrange them so that they can all of them be, as it were, looked at at once? And who, without doing that, shall be sure of being able to distinguish and sever from amongst the whole manifold multitude, the very greatest of all? The bewilderment, in short, is hardly less than the magnitude of the task. Lastly, the question is difficult—most difficult of all indeed—because of the peculiar sanctity of this field. However varied these many enactments in some respects, there was one vital point in regard to which they were all exactly alike. By the pious Israelite they were all rightly regarded as having the same supreme majesty behind them. Whether greater or less in man’s fallible judgment, they were all spoken by God. “Thus saith the Lord,” “I am the Lord,” are declarations to be found repeatedly in the letter, and always in spirit, in every page of that “law.” Who, therefore, can undertake safely to point out differences between its enactments? And who, above all, shall so do this as to put his finger on that which is greatest of all? The very attempt to do it involves peril of the direst possible kind. Hence, not improbably, indeed, one principal reason of proposing it to the Saviour. With His pretensions He ought to be able to settle even such a difficulty as this.
II. The Saviour’s reply to this insidious and perilous question consisted of two principal steps. In the first of these He, practically, narrowed the field of inquiry. And did so, most wisely, by showing simply how God Himself had done so already. As the “lawyer” who had asked this question very well knew, God had put one portion of that multitudinous and manifold collection of statutes and ordinances known by the name of the law, as it were by itself. He had done so, partly, by the special place and manner of its original promulgation (Exodus 20:1-18); partly by the special care taken by Him on that occasion to restrain His utterance to that portion alone (Deuteronomy 5:22); and partly by the fact that He Himself had then written that portion alone with His own finger on two tables of stone (ibid.). This being so, the Saviour will now, as it were, follow this lead. What God Himself has thus visibly exalted above the rest of His law, He will treat as so being. And will confine Himself, therefore, to searching in it for that which is greatest of all. In the next place, the Saviour, taking up this portion alone, proceeds to explain its structure and force. Briefly, its “structure” is this: that it consists of two groups. That the first group teaches man as a creature to love his Creator; and teaches him also that he cannot do this too much. That the second group is also a commandment to “love,” and, therefore, “like” to the “first.” That it differs from it, however, in teaching man, as God’s creature, to love his brother man as being the same; and to do so, therefore, with just the same degree of love as he bears to himself. The “force” of this analysis, it will be seen, therefore, is of a two-fold description. On the one hand it shows us that one of these tables or groups of commandments does necessarily and from its very nature come before the other, both as to order and importance; and is, consequently, so far the “greater.” On the other hand, it shows us that the second of these is so essentially a sequel of, as to be almost a part of, the former; and, therefore, is, so far, not to be regarded as “less.” And so, on the whole, therefore, that in these two in combination, we have the greatest of all. And this is the true teaching, moreover—so the Saviour adds in conclusion—of all teachers who have ever been sent from God to teach on this point. Judge for yourselves if either “Moses or the prophets” have taught other or more! (Matthew 22:40).
See therefore here, in conclusion:—
1. The wisdom of Moses as a teacher.—Was there over such a summary of duty as that given through him?
2. The wisdom of Christ as a Teacher.—Was there ever any one who fathomed that summary as it was fathomed by Him?
3. The perfection of Christ as a Saviour.—“By the obedience of One many were made righteous” (Romans 5:19). See here how well that “One” understood what He undertook to obey. We may well believe, therefore, that He honoured it in practice to an equal degree. Could He, indeed, have understood it so perfectly if He had not obeyed it in full?
HOMILIES ON THE VERSES
Matthew 22:36. The law of love a natural force of humanity.—It will help us to understand this principle if we first distinguish it from some other principles of our nature.
I. It is to be distinguished from the principle of will, and in some regards is indeed to be opposed to it. All human lives that are following the law of will, of self, of individualism, are breaking life’s true law, and missing life’s true aim.
II. The law of love is to be distinguished from the principle of knowledge. Knowledge is not a primary fact, and can never become an ultimate law, of life. “Knowledge shall vanish away, but love never faileth.”
III. The law of love is wholly opposed to the spirit of fear. Fear is not natural to man. Fear only came to man when tempted by knowledge. He transgressed the obedience of love, and having transgressed he hid himself from the presence of God. And Adam represents us all. We hide from God because we have sinned. When we kneel at the foot of the cross, and feel that because God loves us we must love God, we learn again the law of life, the law of being: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” etc. God has made you to love Him, to have communion with Him. And in that perfect communion the law of God is not broken. And that law is, that with all your heart, with all your being, with all the powers that you have, shall you love God. Then reason shall be linked to heaven, and affection linked to heaven, and conscience linked to heaven, and idea and imagination and all the powers of mind and soul linked to heaven by the eternal principle of love.—Archdeacon Watkins.
Matthew 22:37-40. Love to God and man.—
I. These two principles from which our Lord tells us all religion flows, must be consistent with one another; otherwise they could not both be principles of the same religion.
II. Nothing is, or ought to be, esteemed religion that is not reducible to one or other of these principles.—Bishop Sherlock.
Matthew 22:37-38. The first and great commandment.—Our Lord having to do with a proud hypocrite, puffed up with a conceit of his own righteousness, doth so answer him, as He layeth out the spiritual meaning of the law, that the man might see how short he came in the obedience thereof, and so doth teach us:
1. That the commandments are not obeyed except the obedience spring from love.
2. The commandments are not satisfied except the whole man, wholly, in all things, obey with his whole mind, affections, and the strength of all the powers of soul and body.
3. To love God is the greatest commandment, because it is the fountain of the obedience of all the commands, and also because all the commands of the first table are but branches, and evidences in part of our love to God.
4. The great commandment is not fulfilled except a man in the sense of his shortcoming in love to God, seek for reconciliation with Him, enter into a covenant of grace with Him, and make use of His friendship, as of a reconciled God.
5. The commandment of loving God with all our might and adhering to Him as reconciled unto us and made ours by covenant, is first to be looked unto, as being of greatest consequence (Matthew 22:38).—David Dickson.
Why men do not love God.—There are two reasons why men do not love God. For one of them there are great excuses; for the other there is no excuse whatsoever.
I. In the first place, too many find it difficult to love God because they have not been taught that God is lovable, and worthy of their love.—They have been taught dark and hard doctrines, which have made them afraid of God. Our love must be called out by God’s love.
II. If we do not wish to do what God commands we shall never love God.—It must be so. There can be no real love of God which is not based upon the love of virtue and goodness, upon what our Lord calls a hunger and thirst after righteousness.—C. Kingsley, M.A.
Matthew 22:37. The great commandment.—
I. Who is the Christian’s God?—We must know God before we can love Him.
II. Our duty towards God.—We must not only love Him, but our love must be—
1. Supreme.
2. Abiding.
3. Operative.
III. Why that duty is called “the first and great commandment.”—
1. It is the noblest exercise of our faculties.
2. It is the foundation of all other duties.—C. Simeon, M.A.
The mind’s love for God.—I. Is it not manifestly true that besides the love of the senses, and the love of the heart, and the love of the soul, and the love of the strength, there is also a love of the mind, without whose entrance into the completeness of the loving man’s relation to the object of his love, his love is not complete? Is your greatest friend contented with your love before you have come to love him with all your mind? Everywhere we find our assurances that the mind has its affections and enthusiasms, that the intellect is no cold-hearted monster who only thinks and judges, but that it glows with love, not merely perceiving, but delighted to perceive, the beauty of the things with which it has to do.
II. Christ bids His disciples to love God with all their minds.—“Understand Me,” He seems to cry, “I am not wholly loved by you unless your understanding is searching out after My truth, and with all your powers of thoughtfulness and study you are trying to find out all you can about My nature and My ways.”
III. There are ignorant saints who come very near to God, and live in the rich sunlight of His love, but none the less for that is their ignorance a detraction from their sainthood.—There are mystics who, seeing how God outgoes human knowledge, choose to assume that God is not a subject of human knowledge at all. Such mystics may mount to sublime heights of unreasoning contemplation, but there is an uncompleteness in their love, because they rob one part of their nature of all share in their approach to God. Love God with all your mind, because your mind, like all the rest of you, belongs to Him; and it is not right that you should give Him only a part to whom belongs the whole. Give your intelligence to God. Know all that you can about Him.—Phillips Brooks.
Love to God.—The measure of loving God is to love Him without measure.—W. Burkitt.
A comprehensive law.—When Thomas Paine resided in Bordentown, in the state of New Jersey, he was one day passing the residence of Dr. Staughton, when the latter was sitting at the door. Paine stopped, and after some remarks of a general character, observed, “Mr. Staughton, what a pity it is that a man has not some comprehensive and perfect rule for the government of his life.” The doctor replied, “Mr. Paine, there is such a rule.” “What is that?” Paine inquired. Dr. S. repeated the passage, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself.” Abashed and confounded, Paine replied, “Oh, that’s in your Bible,” and immediately walked away.—Biblical Museum.
Matthew 22:38. The great and first commandment.—Love is the great and first commandment:
I. In antiquity.—Being as old as the world, and engraven in our nature.
II. In dignity.—As directly respecting God.
III. In excellence.—Being the commandment of the new covenant.
IV. In justice.—As preferring God above all things, and rendering to Him His due.
V. In sufficiency.—In making of itself man holy in this life, and blessed in that which is to come.
VI. In fruitfulness.—In being the root of all other commandments.
VII. In virtue and efficacy.
VIII. In extent.
IX. In necessity.
X. In duration.—As continuing for ever in heaven.—Quesnel.
Matthew 22:39. The second great commandment.—
1. So many as profess love to God must set themselves to love their neighbour also, at His command; for he cannot love God who will not love his neighbour.
2. It is lawful to love ourselves, yea, it is a commanded duty after our love to God, and with our love to God, and from our love to God; that is to say, so as our love to ourselves be not in the first room, which belongeth to God, so as our love of ourselves be subordinate unto the love of God, and may make us forthcoming to the honour of God, and doth not prejudge our love to God, but further the same; for the command which saith, “Love thy neighbour as thyself,” saith “Love thyself,” by a second and like command, depending on, and flowing from, the first.
3. A right ordered and measured love to ourselves is the rule and measure of our love to our neighbour; the love of God must be preferred both to ourselves and neighbour, so as we must not please ourselves or our neighbour by displeasing God; but our love to God being fixed in its own place, then, in reason, as we would have others do unto us, do we also unto them; for “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” that is, sincerely and constantly.—David Dickson.
Matthew 22:39. Love to our neighbour.—In canvassing the duty here enjoined, I shall consider:—
I. Its nature.—An attendant of regeneration. Disinterested. “As thyself.”
II. Its extent.—
1. It extends to our families, friends and countrymen.
2. To our enemies.
3. To all mankind.
4. It extends in its operations to all the good offices which we are capable of rendering to others.
(1) The love required in this precept will prevent us from voluntarily injuring others.
(2) Among the positive acts of beneficence dictated by the love of the gospel, the contribution of our property forms an interesting part.
(3) Love to our neighbour dictates also every other office of kindness which may promote his present welfare.
(4) Love to our neighbour is especially directed to the good of his soul.
Conclusion.
1. From these observations it is evident that the second great commandment of the moral law is “like the first.”
2. Piety and morality are here shown to be inseparable.
3. The religion of the Scriptures is the true and only source of all the duties of life.—T. Dwight, LL.D.
Self love.—There is no express command in Scripture for a man to love himself, because the light of nature directs, and the law of nature binds and moves every man so to do. God has put a principle of self-love and of self-preservation into all His creatures, but especially in man.—W. Burkitt.
Matthew 22:40. What is religion?—The answers to the question are various, some of them wide enough of the mark, and others hitting it more or less nearly. Even where the answers are within sight of the truth there is a tendency to overlook the kernel of religion, and lay undue stress upon its husk. It was Christ’s function to remind a generation, blighted by formalism, where true religion lay. He pierced beneath all outward forms, laid bare the essence of religion, and sot it forth before men’s eyes in the clear light of His own Divine wisdom: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. That is an account of religion worth meditating upon.
I. How simple it is!—There is no mistaking what it means. Religion is in many ways a perplexing, complicated phenomenon. It touches us at so many points, it is so interwoven with the whole world of thought and feeling and conduct; it has so many different ways of expressing itself; it is so many-sided, and on some of its sides so profoundly mysterious, that it is natural enough to find variety and confusion and bewilderment in the conceptions men have entertained of it. Here, as elsewhere in human affairs, it is only those who have mastered a subject who can show us its simplicity. It was the genius of Newton that discovered the simplicity of the one all-pervading law of gravitation, which accounts at once for the falling of an apple and the movements of sun and planets. So the Divine insight of Christ into human life, and its relations with the life of God, has issued in the simplicity of His account of religion as love to God and love to man. Thought is a great element in human life, and belief has a large part to play in religion. Conduct, we are told, constitutes three-fourths of human life, and there can be no right religion without right conduct. Emotion is the source of much of the interest of life, and is deeply inwrought with religion. But Christ goes behind all that, behind thought and conduct and emotion, and fixes upon the moral will, expressing itself in love to God and man, as the deepest seat of religion.
II. Notice also, in Christ’s answer, how He has seized upon and emphasised the permanent element in religion.—The accidents of religion may change. But amid all changes in religious activity, or worship, or creed, there is one thing at least which is unchangeable—that on which Christ has laid the chief stress. The inner pith of religion can never be elsewhere than where He has put it—in love to God and love to man. It is a simple account of religion Christ gives; but if we are in earnest with His answer, and honestly strive to work it out in our daily life, its simplicity will seem to us to be something else than we often take it to be. Simplicity does not mean easiness. No. To love God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourself, that is a demand than which none else can be harder, which penetrates into the deepest deep of our being, and embraces the widest reaches of our thought and activity. To give God the supreme devotion of our hearts, to merge our wills in His, to yield to Him the complete mastery of our life, to let the current of our affection go out towards Him—that is not easy. To love our neighbour as Christ loved, to go about the world with sympathy ready to take upon itself others’ burdens, so to identify ourselves with others that we learn to regard their welfare as one with our own, to keep down all envy and jealousy and narrow-hearted-ness, and to be willing to deny ourselves for the good of our neighbour—that is not easy.
III. Christ links the two together.—Devotion to our Heavenly Father and devotion to our fellows. They were linked together in that life of His which He lived beneath the Syrian skies, and where Christ’s religion is truly grasped they cannot be divorced. Love is a unity where it exists; it must go forth at once to God above us and to our fellows around us. Now notice that the demand is for love, not for mere awe, or zeal, or outward homage. You can test whether your relation to God is founded in love or in some less noble sentiment. You can test that by the effect it produces on your relation to your fellows. Love to God will show itself in love to man. On the other hand, you can reverse the process and test your love to man by your love to God. You cannot rightly love your brother without loving his Father and your Father. I do not say that there is no such thing as philanthropy, which is supposed to be dissociated from all reference to God—though even that kind of philanthropy is more closely linked with God than is sometimes thought. But this I say, that you have not elevated your philanthropy to a worthy enough level till you love your brother as a man who is linked with God, and destined for life in God.
IV. These words of Christ form a noble guide for the religious life.—Forget not what religion according to Christ means. Take heed lest you be so engrossed with its mere accidents that you lose sight of its substance. Strive that you may grow in love to God and man.—D. M. Ross, M.A.