Is the Whole Law Reduced to Two Commandments?

Many teach and believe that Jesus\Yeshua reduced all the commandments of His Father into 2 commandments:

>>  Love God.

>>  Love your neighbor.

On these two hang all the law and the prophets.  Right?  (Matthew 22:40)

This is true in the sense that these two laws encompass every law given in the scriptures….because if you are perfectly walking in the Spirit you might be able to perfectly walk out each aspect of your day making sure every action is in line with loving God or loving your neighbor

After all, Yeshua said if we love Him we will keep His commandments. Which commandments? Only two?

The Greek word translated in this verse as “hang” means “suspend” or “depend.”

Does that mean those two laws depend on you keeping the law and the prophets?  Or do the law and the prophets suspend from these two?  Neither of these is a correct interpretation. 

A better understanding would be thus:  those two laws encompass all of the laws given in His word.

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law…but to fulfill it…make it full.”

In the same passage, the Sermon on the Mount, He said if you break the smallest commandment or teach someone that it is permissible to break the smallest commandment, that you would be least in the kingdom.

He did not nullify His father’s entire tome of instructions, nor did He reduce it to two.

In Matthew 22:40, He was explaining that all His laws or instructions fall into categories under these two broad laws. 

It is just like your earthly father giving you a chore to do.

“Go clean your room”.

Well, if you have ever been around children, you know that they will go in their room and stand and stare.   They will get distracted and start playing with the toys.   They will eventually sit down in the mess and cry because they don’t know where to start.” Then you, the loving father, will go in and give them more instruction.

“I want you to make the bed, put those toys away, hang up the clean laundry, pick up the dirty laundry, throw out the trash, sweep the floor….”

Right?  If you have an angel child that just automatically dives in and starts cleaning with no direction, go away.  We don’t want you here. 🙂

But really.  Isn’t that how children operate? 

And that is how fathers and mothers operate as well.  We want them to obey.  We want them to succeed, so if they need it spelled out for them, we often must do that. 

What happens if the child still does not move and start doing the specific things you asked?

Well, we parents get mad, don’t we?  We get frustrated.  We cannot understand why this child will not do what we have asked.  Have you ever had one of those days when no one is listening to you, and you just feel defeated?  Don’t you feel like saying “They do not care about what I say.  They do not love me.”?

This is what our heavenly father feels as well.  He said if we love Him, we will keep his commandments.  

What if you did not give your child these specific instructions?  Would they dissolve in a fit of tears and say “I don’t know where to begin.  I need help!”

In the “clean your room” scenario, think of God as the Father.

He gave His children these instructions and He broke them down into smaller instructions so that you and I could keep them.

Consider the 10 Commandments.  They are in two sections.  The first four commandments teach you how to love God.  The last 6 teach you how to love your neighbor. 

How about loving your neighbor?

What does that look like? 

God said

>>  Children, I want you to honor your parents.

>>  Don’t kill people. That doesn’t show love.

>>  Don’t commit adultery.   It doesn’t show love if you take another person’s spouse.

>>  Don’t steal from your neighbor.

>>  Don’t tell lies about your neighbors.

>>  And don’t be jealous and covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Now, we can go farther with this.

Think of it like a goal.

My goal is to show love to God. 

Any life coach will tell you; you must take your large goal and break it down into smaller, manageable goals.   Right?

Let’s pretend your goal is to improve your health:  you cannot just write “be healthier” on your goal sheet in large letters and stop there.  Nothing will happen. You must break that down into smaller goals.  For instance, I’m going to stop drinking caffeine.  I’m going to start exercising.   I’m going to drink more water.  I’m going to eat cleaner.  Is that going to do it?  Can you stop there?  No.  It is still not enough.   You need to break it down further.  Get a gym membership.  Download a workout app. Replace your caffeine with something healthier.  Get a water bottle with volume increments written on it.  Start replacing bad foods with good foods.   Defining small goals will create real change in your life. 

This is a great parallel of how God organized His instructions for His people. 

Think of the big goal: Love God.

Okay how do we do that? Well, God is so loving and kind that He laid it out letter by letter in His Word.  He tells us exactly how He wants to be loved.  Obedience…that is His love language… as it is with many parents.   Don’t you want your children to obey you?  Aren’t you exasperated when they disobey? Especially when you have told them something that will help them, or make their life easier, or keep them safe?

You may not realize it, but the many laws given in Genesis through Deuteronomy, 613 in all, fall into these 2 categories as well:  Love God and love your neighbor.   His instructions are detailed because He wants you to succeed.  How would you feel if your earthly father gave you an overwhelming new task and you had no idea how to really go about it? What if he returned an hour later and punished you for not having done it correctly? Is that fair?  No.  God is a just God.  He says “I want you to love me (overwhelming right?) And here is exactly how I want you to do it.”

What if you show up at school and the teacher gives a pop quiz on a topic she hasn’t even discussed in class?  And then fails the entire class?  Is that fair.  God is fair.  He tells you what He wants and then He explains in minute, repetitive detail how to do it.

Deuteronomy 28 lays out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience.   Many glance at this chapter and assume that the God who wrote that is a big, angry bully that wants to squash you the second you mess up.  That is not a father.  That is not our Heavenly Father.   He genuinely wants you to be blessed and tells you exactly how to achieve those blessings.  He made you. He made the dirt you are standing on and the air you are breathing.  And He made the laws that govern this universe.  Is it so hard to believe that He would like you to respect those laws?  For instance, the law of gravity.  Do you respect the law of gravity?  I mean, you can belligerently deny that it exists all you want, but if you disobey that law…. you might die.  I did not say “you will lose your salvation if you jump off a tall building,” I said, “You might die.”

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.   That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  1 Timothy 3:16-17.  And remember, the New Testament was not written at the time that this verse was penned.  

All of God’s laws He stated for a reason.  They will bless you if you keep them.  They will curse you if you do not.  It is that simple. 

So, we can figuratively butt heads with the Father just as we often as we want, just as we may do with our earthly parents.   We can stomp and pout about having to follow instructions. We can ignore the instructions our Father has lovingly designed to guard our lives and it won’t go well with us.  Or we can live our lives under the umbrella of His instructions.  We can stay inside the circle of His protection. We can walk in His ways and be blessed.  He gave us that option.  He gave us free will.  But His heart is moved when we obey.

“If ye love me, keep my commands. “

If you are pricked in your heart to learn more of His instructions, Hallelujah!  Don’t feel overwhelmed.  You cannot implement these changes all at once.  Habits are a strong force.  We must slowly replace the bad habits with good habits over time.  Start with turning from sin, which according to the definition of sin given in 1 John 3:4, “sin is breaking His laws”.  Repent, turn from not following His instructions, and begin to walk out your faith in obedience to His word. 

This is how the disciples handled the new Gentile converts that were coming into the faith in Acts 15.  They knew they could not burden the new believers (previously pagans) with understanding all of scripture at the beginning.   They, therefore, explained the 4 instructions that they absolutely needed to follow and then they said, “after all, they will hear Moses taught every Sabbath”.  They knew that if they kept coming to synagogue to hear the scriptures taught, and abiding in His word, they would slowly grow in the grace and knowledge of the truth. 

In case you still view His law through a negative lens, and most of us raised in the Christian church world do, start by reading Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, and view the law through the lens of King David and your Creator. 

But (Jesus/Yeshua) said, “blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” Luke 11:28