The Summary of the Law Sermons from St. James Anglican Church

We repeat these familiar words every Sunday, and what Jesus says here is commonly referred to as "the summary" of the Law (or of the Old Testament). I will admit that "summary" cannot be called an inaccurate description, and indeed there are other New Testament texts that seem to support that characterization; nevertheless, is "summary" really the most accurate way of describing what Jesus is saying in this text? He doesn't say that the two commandments, to love God and to love our neighbor, serve as a summary of the Old Testament but that all that is in the Law and in the Prophets "hang" on them, which is not exactly the same thing. Or is it? This Sunday we will see if the distinction is merely a matter of splitting hairs or if it matters in some way. After all, if we're going to affirm something every time we worship together, it behoves us to understand what we are saying as best we are able.