The greatest law

“Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, ‘What is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ (Matt. 22:36). Now, out of over 600 commandments to choose from, including the most well-known Ten Commandments, which would you have chosen as the greatest?
Jesus doesn’t pick a ‘Thou shalt not...’ commandment. He does not pick one to do with our outward actions at all. Rather, He highlights the law of love: loving God, and loving our fellow man. And it must be in this order.
Paul picks up on this: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law” (Rom. 13:8-10).
The Pharisees sought to keep all the nuances of the law, but only as it applied to their outward actions. Because of this they developed a proud, unloving attitude to the people around them. Rather, God wants our heart attitude to be changed. That change will naturally flow outwards into our actions.