Which Command Is the Most Important?^(A)

³⁴ The Pharisees learned that Jesus had made the Sadducees look so foolish that they stopped trying to argue with him. So the Pharisees had a meeting. ³⁵ Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. ³⁶ He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”

³⁷ Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and most important command. ³⁹ And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor^[b] the same as you love yourself.’^{[c] 40} All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.”

A Story About the Good Samaritan

²⁵ Then an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

²⁶ Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you understand from it?”

²⁷ The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’^[a] Also, ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ Jesus said, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will have eternal life.”