THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT OF ALL

However, when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, one of the scribes who had listened to them debating appreciated that Jesus had given a good answer and put a further question to him, “Master, which is the first and greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus said to him, ''“Listen Israel: Yahweh our God is the one, the only Yahweh. You must love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength,'' (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and with your entire mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)  On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets too. There is no commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true, that our God is the one, the only Yahweh. To love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.” Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to question him any more. Return