The Gospel of Matthew
The Greatest Commandment: Mt 22,34-40
Matthew makes this question come from the Pharisees (22,34). In Mark by contrast, this scene is a remarkably friendly discussion with a scribe (Mk 12,32-33).
The presence of a lawyer in verse 35 would turn this into a more formal discussion, though as I noted a scribe would have been more typical of Matthew. Even so, the aim is to test Jesus. (In Luke, chapter 10, the lawyer's question is the lead-in to the parable of the Good Samaritan.)
The question though would have begun the sort of debate the rabbis loved. Law for Pharisees was both written and oral.
In verse 36, the lawyer calls Jesus "Teacher".
Jesus reply is the shema Israel "hear O Israel" (Dt 6,4-9) which is the daily prayer of all Jews. Unlike Mark, Matthew omits the call to attention (Dt 6,4).
This is Jesus' answer but to this he then adds Lev 19,18 "love your neighbour as yourself". This has already been quoted twice in the Gospel, as part of the command to love enemies in the Sermon on the Mount (5,43-48) and as the means to enter eternal life (19,16-22).
The conclusion in verse 40 recalls Jesus saying in the Sermon on the Mount that he came to fulfil the law and the prophets (5,17).
This scene is therefore consistent with what Matthew has been saying in the Gospel and brings it to a final focus.
We can return to read the next scene.
The Son of David: Mt 22,41-46
Matthew changes Mark (Mk 12,35) by making this scene into another confrontation with the Pharisees but this time the two questions are posed by Jesus. The result is his challenge to the Pharisees.
To the first question, the Pharisees correctly reply in verse 42 that the Messiah or Christ would be the Son of David. Isaiah (Is 9,5) and Jeremiah (Jer 23,5) are two of the prophets who made this point. Jesus was announced as the Son of David at the beginning of the Gospel, 1,1, and he has been call that a number of times.
It is now Jesus' turn to spring his trap, as they tried to trap him earlier.
Psalm 110 was of great importance to early Christians and not only the letter to the Hebrews shows its influence. Jesus by quoting its opening verse poses what would have been a riddle to the Pharisees: "The Lord said to my Lord...".
Whereas Jesus was able to give answers and escape the traps set earlier for him (22.21.32), the Pharisees are now unable to do so. Yet for Christians, it is clear that Jesus is both Son of David and also his Lord, because Jesus is now sitting at God's right hand.
For Matthew, a necessary and important point has now been made. That is why the question had to come from Jesus himself.
Verse 46 therefore highlights the success of Jesus in all questions and debates. This would have been an important message for Matthew's community.
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