The Ten Commandments - Lesson 1: The Greatest Commandment

The Ten Commandments

Lesson 1: The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40 [34] But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. [35] One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. [36] “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” [37] Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

The main points for this lesson / commandment:

These are the greatest commandments. These are most important.

Jesus does not answer with one commandment, but two. The two go together. You cannot love God if you are not loving your neighbor. And you cannot love your neighbor if you are not loving God. Or, to love God, you must love your neighbor. To love your neighbor, you must love God.

All the other commandments depend on these two commandments. That is, all other commandments, as we understand them, fit into these two commandments.

Also, if you desire to fulfill all the other commandments, you must love God and love your neighbor first and foremost.

Suggestions:

Read the verses in Matthew 22:34-40. Ask about the question and Jesus' answer. How many commandments did the man ask about? How many did Jesus speak of in answer to the question?

Read the story in Luke 10:25-27 to the children. What did the man ask Jesus? What was Jesus' answer? Why do you think the man wanted to justify himself? How did the Samaritan man love his neighbor?

Ask if they remember the story of the sheep and the goats at the judgment. Help them to see the connection in this story between loving their neighbor and loving God.

Other questions to ask the children: Who are your neighbors? How could you love them?

Stories:

Luke 10:25-37 [25] Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” [27] He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” [28] He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” [29] But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” [30] Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. [32] In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, [34] came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. [35] On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ [36] Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?” [37] He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

It would appear that the man's conscience told him that he did not love his neighbor as himself. Rather than repenting, asking forgiveness, and then asking for help with this, he wanted to justify himself. The man wanted to ease his conscience so that he could feel okay about not loving his neighbor. Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan to respond to this.

More Stories and Examples:

Matthew 25:31-46

In telling of his return to judge all men, Jesus shows at least one connection between loving your neighbor and loving the Lord your God. Jesus tells the sheep that when they loved their neighbor, they were in fact loving him. The goats are told that when they did not love their neighbor, they were not loving Jesus.

Mark 12:28-34 [28] One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” [29] Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: [30] you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. [31] The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [32] The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, [33] and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” [34] When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” No one dared ask him any question after that.

Other Verses:

Leviticus 18:1-5 [1] Yahweh said to Moses, [2] “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God. [3] You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes. [4] You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am Yahweh your God. [5] You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.

Leviticus 9:17-18 [17] “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. [18] “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 [4] Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. [5] You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. [6] These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; [7] and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. [8] You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 30:1-6 [1] It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you, [2] and return to Yahweh your God, and obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; [3] that then Yahweh your God will release you from captivity, have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you. [4] If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there Yahweh your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back. [5] Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it. He will do you good, and increase your numbers more than your fathers. [6] Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.

Proverbs 19:16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

John 14:21 One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”

Romans 13:8-10 [8] Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 John 3:11-18 [11] For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; [12] unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. [13] Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. [14] We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. [15] Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. [16] By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him? [18] My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

1 John 4:7-12 [7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. [8] He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. [9] By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.

1 John 4:20-21 [20] If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? [21] This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.