Matthew 22:40 Only Two Simple Rules To Follow

“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:40

Jesus was asked by some teachers of the Law what was the greatest commandment. He told them to love God and to love the neighbor. He finishes with telling them that all the other commandments are based off of those two.

People do not like to have a lot of rules and regulations to follow. They want to have their freedom to do what they want, when they want and how they want. Yet, they know that rules are a necessity.

Since rules are required, most people want to know what they are. In that process, they also want to know what the most important rules are. They want to know which rules will enact the harshest punishment if not followed. It will also let them know what they can cut corners on, because the other rules are not so important.

The challenge with having many different rules, is that it is difficult to remember each one. When a person does his taxes, there are thousands of different rules regulating them. It is difficult for a person to know every one of those rules.

People need the rules to be simplified to be able to understand them. The more rules that there are, the easier it is to miss one.

Jesus simplified all the rules into two. All one has to do is love God and love his neighbor. If that is done, all the other commands of God will be followed perfectly.

In order to follow these commands, you must ask yourself on a regular basis if what you are saying or doing is loving God and loving your neighbor. If your words or actions are loving God and your neighbor, you are following God’s greatest commands and all the other commands of God.

If they are not loving God or your neighbor, you have something you must change. Later in scripture you are told that to love God is to love your neighbor, and to love your neighbor is to love God.

There is now no reason for you to wonder what God’s commands are for you. They are all summed up in two simple little rules: 1) love God, and 2) love your neighbor.

Are you following these two simple commands?

Are you really loving God as you say you are?

I pray today that you will know God’s love for you; that you will love God with all of your life; that you will love your neighbors as God loves them; and that you will follow God with all of your heart.