This is the Advent of a new way of thinking.

What is the greatest commandment?

Who is the Son of Man?

SolLuna, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

12/7
Matthew 22:34-46

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?"

They said to him, "The son of David."

He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet" '? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?"

No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Finally, someone asks Jesus, whatever their motive, a pertinent question? I speak of motives, because the question comes from a lawyer and because Matthew chooses to mention it. Lawyers never ask questions unless they know or suspect the answers. On the other hand, this one might have slipped because Jesus' answer silenced everyone.

In Mark, Jesus is recorded as reciting the Shema:

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."  — Mark 12:28-31

In Luke, the question is put back to the inquirer who gives the correct answer:

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." — Luke 10:25-28

None of this is new. Leviticus 19:18 says:

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

And Deuteronomy says:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. — Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Everything hangs on love. The ethic of the Kingdom is simple and all-encompassing. All elese is commentary. It is about love.

Matthew records Jesus making the connection in conversation to Messianic hope and his Messianic identity. The Son of Man. Who is he? Whose son is he?

Of course, they say, David's, but Jesus throws them for a loop and reminds them that David calls him "Lord" and refers to him as sovereign. How can this be?

They scratch their heads, turn away, and stop asking questions. He stops answering them.

I think Jesus is turning the tables. If they think they can trip him up by asking trick questions, he will give them one that they have to work on themselves.

He answers a complex question with the simplest and most profound response: Love.

Then, he throws out something for them to chew on: Who is Lord?

This is the Advent of a new way of thinking.

Chew that!