Controversy
517
to immortal life. God will be their God, and they shall be His people.
There will be a close and tender relationship between God and the
risen saints. This condition, which is anticipated in His purpose, He
beholds as if it were already existing. The dead live unto Him.
By the words of Christ the Sadducees were put to silence. They
could not answer Him. Not a word had been spoken of which the least
advantage could be taken for His condemnation. His adversaries had
gained nothing but the contempt of the people.
The Pharisees, however, did not yet despair of driving Him to speak
that which they could use against Him. They prevailed upon a certain
learned scribe to question Jesus as to which of the ten precepts of the
law was of the greatest importance.
The Pharisees had exalted the first four commandments, which
point out the duty of man to his Maker, as of far greater consequence
than the other six, which define man’s duty to his fellow man. As
the result, they greatly failed of practical godliness. Jesus had shown
[607]
the people their great deficiency, and had taught the necessity of good
works, declaring that the tree is known by its fruits. For this reason He
had been charged with exalting the last six commandments above the
first four.
The lawyer approached Jesus with a direct question, “Which is the
first commandment of all?” The answer of Christ is direct and forcible:
“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our
God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength: this is the first commandment.” The second is like the first,
said Christ; for it flows out of it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” “On
these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one
great precept, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.”
The last six are included in the other, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.” Both these commandments are an expression of the principle
of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the
second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful
place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our
neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God
supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially.