But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 22:34-40
The Pharisees and the Sadducees constantly set traps for the Lord. They were so legalistic that they missed the whole point of the Ten Commandments, which is to love God first -- giving all our allegiance to Him, and then to love everyone else as we love ourselves. The first four commandments are about reverencing God. The last six are about acting on that reverence by respecting and honoring our neighbor. (According to Strong's Concordance, "neighbor is any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet".) If we want to know how to respect and honor others, we only have to consider how we would like to be treated, and then act toward our neighbor in that manner. Love God, love others. Two commandments equal ten.
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