34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

It’s like these religious leaders have a ‘Kick Me’ sign printed on the backs of their clothes. They just can’t let it go. They were obsessed with “getting Jesus.”

A number of years ago my wife and I were on a medical missions trip to South Sudan. We happened to be traveling with a CBN reporter, Gary, who also happened to be Pat Robertson’s campaign manager when Pat ran for President in the 1980s. Gary was sitting on the press bus when Andrea Mitchell, not knowing Gary was on the bus, got on the bus and exclaimed, “We really nailed him today [meaning Robertson]!”

Oops.

I get the sense that these religious leaders were trying to “nail” Jesus any chance they got. As I’ve stated multiple times, this was the Son of God. He knew their ways and tricks and how to defend himself. And they had the audacity of asking the Word of God about the Law that He wrote! That’s too funny.

Jesus’ teaching is instructive. Apparently there is a hierarchy of commandments. Plus, these two commandments were the granddaddy of them all.

It would appear that if we hid these words in our hearts, that would be a wonderful thing.

Write them down.
Memorize them.
Think about them.
Let them roll around in your head and let it sink down into your heart.
Go to sleep with them on your heart.

Then, the next day, do it all over again until they are burned into our spirits.

The truly difficult part, however, will be to live them out each day. Hiding them is a great first step though.