Sermon by St. John Chrysostom
When the Pharisees had heard that Christ had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together for a fresh attack; just when it behoved them to be quiet, they willed to contend; and so they put forward one of themselves who professed skill in the law, not wishing to learn, but to lay a snare. This person therefore proposed the question: Which is the great commandment in the law? The first and great commandment is: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, but they expected that he would make some exception or addition to this in his own case, since he made himself God. With this expectation they asked him the question; but what said Christ? To shew that they had adopted this course, because they were loveless, and sick with envy, he answered: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.