One of the scribes came up and was listening to their dispute. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him and said, “Which commandment is the greatest?”
This scribe, unlike the previous opponents, seemed to have a more sincere approach. He saw Christ’s wise answer and asked about the chief commandment of the Law. That question was important, because Jewish teachers often discussed the greatness and priority of the commandments. As we will see next, Christ answers not by the opinions of human schools, but by His divine wisdom. This verse shows that when a person approaches the Lord not with a trap, but with a search for truth, he can hear the answer that reveals the spirit of the whole Law.