28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
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To love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength sums up perfectly! If we love God with everything, then we would also love to do what he commands and follow him. Same with loving our neighbors as ourself.
The next step for that man who answered wisely will be calling Jesus as his lord rather than just a teacher.
It's sad to see the crooked hearts of the many teachers of the law who try to trap Jesus many times by asking questions that requires knowledge of the law. Certainly, Jesus knows how to answer their questions each time, since He is the word Himself and completes the law. While I read through these verse, I ask myself if I am not faithless at times (like these teachers of the law)and constantly have a complaining and doubting heart toward Christ. I sincerely pray that I have complete faith in our Lord and Saviour Christ.
These verses bring up to me Martin Luther's phrase "by faith alone." We are saved by faith alone. Because we love God truly, we will love our neighbors, and because we love our God and neighbors we will act righteously.
This is the exact opposite of trying to reach God through good deeds. Self-righteous people begin to believe that they deserve to get into heaven because of their good deeds. They believe their salvation is based upon their own works rather than through God's grace.
Only God and our own hearts know our true motivations.
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