The Bible is a big book. Is there a summary that gives us the core of that reality? Yes! The passage in Matthew 22:34–40 encapsulates the nature of that reality. It says: Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The more I have thought about it, the more I see how central these commandments are to my faith. Jesus’ comment that “All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments” is critically important. It means these commandments are central to the message of the Old Testament and by extension to the entire Bible. Such a significant statement deserves closer examination. Pondering what Jesus said has convinced me that these commandments must shape my worldview. It has become a paradigm shift for me.
