Matthew 22:40

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....

Matthew 22:40._On these two commandments. _I now return to Matthew, where Christ says that _all the Law and the prophets depend on these two commandments; _not that he intends to limit to them (78) all the doctrine of Scripture, but because all that is anywhere taught as to the manner of living a holy and righteous life must be referred to these two leading points. For Christ does not treat generally of what _the Law and the Prophets _contain, but, in drawing up his reply, states that nothing else is required in _the Law and the prophets _than that every man should _love God _and his _neighbors; _as if he had said, that the sum of a holy and upright life consists in the worship of God and in charity to men, as Paul states that charity is the fulfilling of the law, ...

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 Matthew 22:40. _ON THESE TWO - HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS._] They are like the first and last links of a chain, all the intermediate ones depend on them. True religion begins and ends in love to God and man. These are the two grand links that unite God to man, man to his fellows, and men again to God. _Love is the fulfilling of the law_, says St. Paul, Romans 13:10; for he who has the love of God in him delights to _obey_ the Divine precepts, and to do all manner of kindness to men for God's sake....

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

ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. Not that all that is contained in the five books of Moses, and in the books of the prophets, and other writings of the Old Testament, is comprehended in, and is reducible to these two precepts; for there are many things delivered by way of promise, written by way of history, c. which cannot, by any means, be brought into these two general heads: but that everything respecting duty that is suggested in the law, or is more largely explained and pressed in any of the writings of the prophets, is summarily comprehended in these two sayings: hence love is the fulfilling of the law see Romans 13:8. The substance of the law is love; and the writings of the prophets, as to the preceptive part of them, are an explanation of the law, and an enlargement upon it: hence the Jews have a saying c, that "all the prophets stood on Mount Sinai",...

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)...