Week 2
Monday
Reading: Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 22:36-40
SOAP: Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.
In Exodus 20 Moses received the two tablets with the law written on them by the finger of God. These were not new laws. Murder, stealing, lying, and dishonoring the Lord had always been wrong. But now they had been written down.
Fast forward many, many years and we come across a scene where the Jewish leadership was trying, once again, to trick Jesus into saying something they could arrest Him for. They wanted to know which of the commandments was the most important. Jesus’ answer is perfect because it includes all the commandments. When He said we are to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls He is referring to the first four commandments from Exodus 20. When He said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, He is referring to the remaining six commandments.
All ten of the commandments are important because they are God’s moral law, relevant to all people at all times. In keeping them we are loving God and our neighbor.
Lord, help us to love Your law. It is good and perfect and right, and by keeping it we show love to You and those around us. Give us a desire and delight in doing what is right. Amen.