“Teacher, in the Law, which is the greatest commandment?”
The expert in the Law frames his question as a didactic interest, as if he wants to hear Jesus’ opinion, but in reality his aim was to test him. He asks, “Which commandment is the greatest?” expecting that Jesus will elevate one commandment above the others, thus creating a contradiction among the interpreters of the Law. Yet this question also has a deeper meaning: it reveals that a person more easily seeks order and priority among laws than understands their essence. The legal expert knew that the commandments are many (613, according to Jewish reckoning), and to call one of them “greater” became dangerous in terms of theoretical dispute. But Jesus is about to show that all the commandments of the Law come down to one principle: love. This verse prepares for Jesus’ answer, which will reveal the core of God’s Law—not outward, but inward perfection.