Matthew 22:39

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. For the exposition, see the notes at Mark 12:13....

39._And the second is like it. _He assigns the _second _place to mutual kindness among men, for the worship of God is _first _in order. The _commandment _to love our neighbors, he tells us, is _like _the first, because it depends upon it. For, since every man is devoted to himself, there will never be true charity towards _neighbors, _unless where the love of God reigns; for it is a mercenary love (76) which the children of the world entertain for each other, because every one of them has regard to his own advantage. On the other hand, it is impossible for the love of God to reign without producing brotherly kindness among men. Again, when Moses commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, he did not intend to put the _love _of _ourselves _in the first place, so that a man may first love _himself _and then love his _neighbors; _as the sophists of the S

34-40 An interpreter of the law asked our Lord a question, to try, not so much his knowledge, as his judgment. The love of God is the first and great commandment, and the sum of all the commands of the first table. Our love of God must be sincere, not in word and tongue only. All our love is too little to bestow upon him, therefore all the powers of the soul must be engaged for him, and carried out toward him. To love our neighbour as ourselves, is the second great commandment. There is a self-love which is corrupt, and the root of the greatest sins, and it must be put off and mortified; but there is a self-love which is the rule of the greatest duty: we must have a due concern for the welfare of our own souls and bodies. And we must love our neighbour as truly and sincerely as we love ourselves; in many cases we must deny ourselves for the good of others. By these two commandments let o...

Verse 39. _THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR_] The love of our neighbour springs from the love of God as its _source_; is found in the love of God as its _principle, pattern_, and _end_; and the love of God is found in the love of our neighbour, as its effect, representation, and infallible _mark_. This love of our neighbour is a love of _equity, charity, succour_, and _benevolence_. We owe to our neighbour what we have a right to expect from _him _- "Do unto all men as ye would they should do unto you," is a positive command of our blessed Saviour. By this rule, therefore, we should _speak,_ _think_, and _write_, concerning every soul of man: - put the best construction upon all the words and actions of our neighbour that they can possibly bear. By this rule we are taught to bear with, love, and forgive him; to rejoice in his felicity, mourn in his adversity, desire and delight in his pros...

JESUS CONVERSES WITH A PHARISEE RESPECTING THE LAW - See also Mark 12:28. Matthew 22:34 THE PHARISEES ... WERE GATHERED TOGETHER - That is, either to rejoice that their great rivals, the Sadducees, had been so completely silenced, or to lay a new plan for ensnaring him, or perhaps both. They would rejoice that the Sadducees had been confounded, but they would not be the less desirous to involve Jesus in difficulty. They therefore endeavored, probably, to find the most difficult question in dispute among themselves, and proposed it to him to perplex him. Matthew 22:35 A LAWYER - This does no

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 22:1 _Parable of the marriage of the king_'_s son. _(Peculiar to St. Matthew.) MATTHEW 22:1 JESUS ANSWERED AND SPAKE UNTO THEM. After they had heard our Lord's words at the end of the last chapter, the Pharisees, according to St. Mark, "left him, and went their way," so that this parable was spoken in the audience of the disciples and the attendant multitude alone, without the former disturbing element. This fact may account for its exhibiting certain merciful and gracious features, setting forth the privilege rather than the duty of obeying the gospel call. The term "answered" often does not signify a reply given to some distinct question, but is equivalent to "took occas

AND THE SECOND IS LIKE UNTO IT,.... For there is but a second, not a third: this is suggested in opposition to the numerous commandments in the law, according to the opinion of the Jews, who reckon them in all to be "six hundred and thirteen": of which there are "three hundred and sixty five" negative ones, according to the number of the days of the year; and "two hundred and forty eight" affirmative ones, according to the members of a man's body z. Christ reduces all to two, love to God, and love to the neighbour; and the latter is the second in order of nature, time, dignity, and causality; the object of it being a creature; and the act itself being the effect of the former, yet like unto it: for though the object is different, yet this commandment regards love as the former, and requires that it be as that, true, hearty, sincere, and perfect; that it be with singleness of heart, alway...

10. THE PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST. The King's Answers and His Question. CHAPTER 22 _ 1. The Parable of the Marriage Feast. (Matthew 22:1 .) 2. The Herodians Answered. (Matthew 22:15 .) 3. The Sadducees Answered.(Matthew 22:23 .) 4. The Pharisees Answered.(Matthew 22:34 .) 5. The Unanswered Question.(Matthew 22:41 .)_ A third parable follows immediately. They would have laid their hands upon Him, after that searching second parable had been uttered by the Lord, but His hour was not yet. Once more He f

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT (Mark 12:28 *, Luke 10:25). Mt. puts the questioner, whom he calls a Pharisee, in much less favourable light than Mk. He tempts Jesus to what is not clear (Lk.'s _ekpeirazô n,_ testing, is better) and he omits the pleasing outcome of Jesus-' answer recorded in Mark 12:32 f. Mt. is leading up to the attack on the Pharisees in ch. 23. The lawyer's question is really, What kind of commandment is great in the law? He is seeking a principle of distinction, and Jesus gives him two by which to test particular precepts. In Matthew 22:37 Mt., like the original precept ...

JOY AND JUDGMENT (Matthew 22:1-10)...