28. One of the teachers of
the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them
a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the
most important?"
29. "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:
`Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31. The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
commandment greater than these."
32. "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right
in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
33. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with
all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important
than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
1. In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. He was with God in the beginning.
3. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that
has been made.
4. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood
it.
14. The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the
One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was
he of whom I said, `He who comes after me has surpassed me because he
was before me.'"
16. From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after
another.
17. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through
Jesus Christ.
18. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the
Father's side, has made him known.
19. We love because he first
loved us.
20. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he
is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen,
cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love
his brother.