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Love of God and Neighbor
Matthew 22 keeps testing Jesus from every direction—kingdom invitation, Roman taxes, resurrection, Torah, and Messiah. Jesus refuses every false choice. Caesar's coin may go back to Caesar, but God's claim remains ultimate; resurrection hope is argued from God's own words to Moses; and the heart of Torah is love of God and neighbor. Then Psalm 110 pushes the Messiah question beyond 'David's son' alone.
Jesus joins Deuteronomy’s command to love God with all one’s being to Leviticus’ command to love one’s neighbor. “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The answer does not shrink Scripture to sentiment; it identifies the love-centered orientation holding covenant ethics together.
Where this fits in the story: the Shema stands at the heart of Israel’s covenant confession, and Leviticus embeds neighbor-love within concrete justice, honesty, generosity, and rejection of vengeance.
Where Scripture takes it next: apostolic writings repeatedly describe love as fulfilling or summing up the law’s neighbor-directed demands.
Evidence boundary: “love” in these passages is covenant loyalty enacted in life, not mere emotion.
Jesus and Paul both identify Leviticus 19:18 as a summary command governing neighbor-love; Jesus joins it to love of God, while Paul says the law is fulfilled in it.
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