"Still The Greatest"
We shouldn’t be surprised; we’ve traveled that same well-worn path, because of our fears. Jesus, focuses instead on love, summed up as – love of God and love of neighbor.
Matthew 22:34-40
October 25, 2026
Todd R. Wright
The late Michael Leunig, cartoonist and poet, wrote:
“There are only two feelings. Love and fear.
There are only two languages. Love and fear.
There are only two activities. Love and fear.
There are only two motives,
two procedures, two frameworks, two results. Love and fear.
Love and fear.”[1]
Those two words echo for me this week – fear and love.
Perhaps Leunig was thinking of this encounter between Jesus and some Pharisees.
The Pharisees seem to be driven by fear –
fear of Jesus’ growing popularity (crowds had shouted “Hosanna, Son of David,” at his arrival);
fear that any self-styled Messiah would provoke Rome’s wrath;
fear that his forgiving of sin and wondrous healings would offend God.
These were not unreasonable fears – Matthew’s congregation knew how brutal Rome had been, destroying the Temple as part of putting down a rebellion in 70 CE. And false prophets were condemned by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the book of Lamentations.
So we should not be surprised that …
fear made the Pharisees so desperate to silence Jesus they allied with Sadducees and chief priests;
or that fear inspired their questions;
or that fear had them clutching, blindly, at obedience to the law, rather than God’s steadfast love.
We shouldn’t be surprised; we’ve traveled that same well-worn path, because of our fears.
Jesus, focuses instead on love, summed up as – love of God and love of neighbor.
Of course, there is context for his answer we might miss in a rush to brevity! Let’s dig in!
Jesus endures a trio of questions by various religious and civic authorities, “all of which take place,” as one scholar memorably puts it, “over a two-day occupation, sit-in, or ‘teach-in’ in the Temple by Jesus, his entourage, and the accompanying Palm Sunday crowds.”[2]
The Pharisees weren’t even all that creative. “It was a common exercise among religious scholars of the day to debate which of the 613 commandments in the law [was] “the greatest,” – the one that sums up the essence of the whole, or serves as the hub at the center of them all.”[3]
So everyone knew the answer – even children.
The prayer known as the ‘Shema’ – ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might’ – was at the center of Israelite liturgy and life:
“[It] was traditionally recited by every Jewish child and adult [to] start [and end] each day. There was no single verse from the entire Torah that the average Jew knew better.”[4]
We saw this when we worshiped with B’nai Jacob, and joined them in saying the Shema.
Jesus adds “Love your neighbor” quoting Leviticus. He was not the first to make that pairing.
It could be heard as dismissive – ask a simple questions; get a simple answer.
Bystanders delight … and slap it on a bumper sticker or a t-shirt or a ball cap for all to see!
But there is more than meets the eye in his answer.
The folks at the SALT project caution us: “The context [in] Leviticus 19 is worth bearing in mind, since it indicates what sort of ‘love’ Jesus is referencing. The verses just prior to verse 18 command Israel to leave gleanings in the fields both for the impoverished and for immigrants, and to refrain from dishonesty, stealing, mistreating the disabled, corruption, slander, hatred — and finally, in verse 18 itself, vengeance: ‘You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself …’”[5]
Loving your neighbor is not a warm feeling, a general sense of kinship, a willingness to share a cup of sugar, if necessary. No. Leviticus is reminding people that loving your neighbor will stretch you in ways you never expected, or wanted.
Jesus is saying all of that when he answers the Pharisees.
He expects them to know the context of his answer. He expects them to live like that, because that’s what God calls the faithful to do.
So on this day when we remember giants like Martin Luther and John Calvin and their willingness to critique and reform, to return to the best that they had received, to build on the best and jettison the rest, what are we to make of Jesus’ answer? How are we to evaluate how we have received his words, taken them to heart, and been formed by them, like lumps of clay in the potter’s hand?
A joint service offers the opportunity to examine each other and see how our answers hold up.
I first got to know of Trinity Lutheran through Trinity’s Table. Each week y’all would open your doors and welcome in people for a meal. Most of your guests were hungry; some just needed to feel like they were worthy of being loved. And that’s what you provided, even when fear threatened to worm its way in.
I’m sure that over the course of 100 years of ministry you’ve had other programs that showed you love God and love your neighbors, but the legacy of Trinity’s Table is a strong answer.
For our part, Village has been around for just over 75 years, and our answer shows a similar shift from fear to love. The written history will tell you that in 2008 we joined with St. Agnes Catholic and Morris Memorial Methodist to start a food pantry – and with every box of food placed in eager hands, we are attempting to love God and love neighbor. What the histories won’t tell is that the spark for all that love was a little bit of fear. Each church was getting regular visits from people asking for help and we were afraid that we were going to be overwhelmed, or cheated, or bled dry. We were a little afraid of some of the people asking for help, of their brokenness, of their despair, of their desperation – like we could catch it. And a small pocket deep within each volunteer feared partnering with folks we did not know, more strangers than neighbors.
Nearly twenty years later we are all glad we chose love over fear – for we have seen love blossom as we have served others and with others.
What is the greatest commandment, the Pharisees asked?
They asked out of fear; but Jesus answered out of love.
And it is still the greatest of answers!
May we hold each other accountable, that our faithfulness may reflect that same love. Amen
[1] “Love and Fear” by Michael Leunig who was declared a National Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia.
[2] From “Listen and Forgive”, the SALT project’s reflection on the text, 10/19/26
[3] Ibid
[4] From Scott Hoezee’s reflections on the text for cepreaching.org, 10/29/17
[5] From “Listen and Forgive”, the SALT project’s reflection on the text, 10/19/26
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