Now every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, but every night He went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet, the Mount of Olives. And all the people used to come to Him early in the morning in the temple to hear Him.

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. … Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.

That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. … Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. … But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the 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 neighbor as yourself.’”

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Lu 21:37-38, Lu 20:19-20; Mt 22:23, Mt 22: 29, Mt 22:31-33; Mt 22:34-39, De 6:5, Le 19:18; Mt 22:46

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.