Rain Outreach Ministry
Small Groups Bible Study

Lesson Title: Love… The Great Commandment
Lesson Text: Matthew 22:34 - 40

Lesson:
Beginning at chapter 22 verse 15, Matthew takes us through a series of encounters Jesus had with the religious leaders of the temple. The goal of these religious leaders was to tempt him. Jesus knew their motives. He had already silenced the Sadducees and with the wisdom of God, he had an answer for the Pharisees as well. Jesus’ answer teaches us a great deal about loving God and how important it is to be guided by love in our actions toward others.

A lawyer asked the question: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” He wasn’t the kind of lawyer we see today in the courtroom. A religious lawyer dedicated his life to studying the law of God. Many of the religious leaders spent a great deal of time teaching, debating and arguing over the law. With over 600 commandments, they had their opinions on which ones were more important than others. They wanted to find out what Jesus thought about the matter. Before reading this passage, did you have your own opinion of which commandment was the greatest or most important? Why?

Matthew 22:37 commands us to love God with ALL of our ___________________ , _____________________ and _____________________________. (Read Deuteronomy 6:5)

Describe what this means to you about loving God! 

What does “love your neighbor as yourself” mean to you?

Read Leviticus 19:9-18 and describe some of the principles God has given for treating our neighbor with love.

Applying the Word: Take time to pray and ask God to remove anything in your heart, soul or mind that has hindered you from loving Him completely. Allow the love of God to flow through you, as you show kindness and compassion to those around you. You may not be able to remember every commandment, but if you allow the two commandments Jesus stated to be firmly rooted in your heart, every other commandment will hang in place.

What can I do this week to show God how much I love Him? What can I do for my neighbor this week so they can see the love of God through me? (Write down some ideas)