Scholar William Barclay noted that there were two schools of thought among rabbis. Some believed “there were lighter and weightier matters of the law… great principles which were all-important to grasp.” Others “held that every smallest principle was equally binding.” Like Jesus, the scribe in this passage saw some principles as central, more vital to live out than others. Loving God and loving your neighbor, both agreed, are the greatest commandments.

• The words Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6 were sweeping: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Jesus said that was the foundation for loving your neighbor. Which “neighbor(s)” right now do you need God’s grace most to love as you love yourself? A family member? A friend? A co-worker? A fellow church member?
• Jesus quoted the first great commandment from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and the second from Leviticus 19:18. Barclay said no previous rabbi had combined those two scriptures the way Jesus did. When has a steady discipline of daily Bible study brought you insight into how you live your life? How has God’s Spirit increased your capacity to both receive and give love as you focus on God and the Bible’s core message?