The greatest command…and the second
“Why do we fail to love God and neighbour?” → “What’s the purpose of all these commands?” → “How does Yeshua summarise everything in Matthew 22:37–40?”
⭐ PART 2 — Matthew 22:37–40: The Two Commands That Hold Everything Together
Last week I ended with Yeshua affirming the Shema as the greatest commandment, loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength. Simply put: Love God. Then He adds the second: Love your neighbour as yourself. And He says all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two.
At first glance it sounds simple. Love God. Love people. But as I sat with it, a question rose that I couldn’t shake:
If it’s so simple, why do we keep failing?
By the end of the week, I still had no answer. No insight. No clarity. Only this: humanity began with one command; “Don’t eat from the tree.” And we failed. Why then did God add more commands?
To understand Matthew 22, I realised I needed to go back to the beginning.
⭐ Back to Genesis: God’s First Commands
Before “Do not eat,” God gave a positive command:
“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28)
Then came the first “do not”:
“Of every tree you may freely eat… but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” (Genesis 2:16–17)
Two commands. One positive, one negative. And still, humanity chose disobedience.
I wondered why Eve listened to the serpent, but then again, I know myself. I justify my disobedience daily. If I’m honest, I probably eat the fruit every day.
When God confronts them, neither Adam nor Eve takes responsibility:
“The woman you put here with me…” “The serpent deceived me…” (Genesis 3:12–13)
Blame. Excuses. Deflection. I recognise myself in both.
⭐ Why More Commands? Why 10? Why 613?
As humanity grew, so did complexity. One command was enough in Eden because there was:
no injustice no nations no economy no war no marriage no idolatry no courts no land no society
But once life expanded, guidance had to expand with it.
The Ten Commandments appear in Exodus 20 and while Moses is receiving them, Israel is already making a golden calf. I look at the list and confess: I’ve broken most.
Then I learned about the 613 mitzvot, not a divine number, but a rabbinic enumeration. Maimonides systemised them; earlier sages had different counts. Only 271 can be kept today.
My conclusion surprised me:
The Torah’s commands were never meant to be a checklist. They were meant to be a covenant.
The 613 aren’t “extra rules.” They are applications of the two greatest commands:
Love God. Love your neighbour.
⭐ Matthew 22: The Moment Everything Comes Together
Before Yeshua gives the greatest commandment, Matthew shows a series of confrontations. Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians; each trying to trap Him. Then a lawyer asks:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
Yeshua answers with the Shema:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.”
Then He adds Leviticus 19:18:
“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
And then the key:
“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Every command, all 613, flows from these two:
Love God → worship, purity, devotion, loyalty, prayer
Love neighbour → justice, charity, honesty, protection, kindness
Examples from the 613:
- Do not steal → Love your neighbour
- Do not oppress the poor → Love your neighbour
- Do not gossip → Love your neighbour
- Destroy idols → Love God
- Pray to God → Love God
- Serve God → Love God
The commands aren’t burdens. They’re expressions of love.
⭐ The Reduction Chain: How Scripture Summarises the Torah
I discovered something beautiful: the rabbinic “reduction chain”:
- Moses → 613
- David → 11 (Psalm 15)
- Isaiah → 6 (Isaiah 33:15–16)
- Micah → 3 (Micah 6:8)
- Isaiah → 2 (Isaiah 56:1)
- Habakkuk → 1 (Habakkuk 2:4)
Every summary moves toward simplicity. Toward essence. Toward love.
⭐ So Why Do We Fail?
Because love is simple, but living it is not.
We fail when we justify. We fail when we blame. We fail when we choose self over God and neighbour.
But Yeshua doesn’t give us a new burden. He gives us clarity:
Love God. Love your neighbour. Everything else is commentary.
HOW THEN DO WE LIVE THIS …
Love God → worship, purity, devotion, loyalty, prayer
Love neighbour → justice, charity, honesty, protection, kindness
Join me for another look next week
I’d love for you to sit with me for this verse. I would love to hear anything it stirs in you: insight, revelation, or even a quiet question.
Wishing you a blessed and grace‑filled week ahead
Elle x
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