The traditional Gospel for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 22: 34-46, This selection consists of two brief dialogues between Jesus and the Pharisees. In the first part, Jesus shows affirms His continuity with the Old Testament. With many other teachers, He asserts the primacy of two great commandments: to love God above all and to love one's neighbor. These two commandments summarize the principles of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus' public ministry is about applying these principles in different situations.
In the second part of today's Gospel selection, Jesus points to His unique identity. Applying rabbinic methods of interpretation to Psalm 110, Jesus implies that He is the Messiah (or the Christ). He points out that the Christ is far greater than His ancestor David. Indeed, the implication is that Christ shares divine majesty. This powerful claim will continue to be developed in the rest of Christ's earthly ministry and throughout the New Testament. Jesus is both a great teacher and King David's greatest descendent, but He is much more. He is God the Son incarnate, the unique mediator and redeemer!
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