The Greatest Commandment

Jesus is coming to the end of a series of encounters with the Jerusalem authorities. He's been challenged by the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees. Now it's time for an encounter with a scribe. This encounter isn't going to be a challenge, however; it's going to be a surprisingly positive encounter. It's so positive that, in this section of stories, it feels completely out of place.
This scribe witnessed the last exchange with the Sadducees. Recognizing that Jesus gave a satisfying answer, the scribe asks Jesus a question of his own.
Now this question is not a challenge. In the context it must actually be the first sincere question in the whole series of encounters. This scribe sees that Jesus is a skilled interpreter of the Scriptures and so he takes his chance to put an important question to Jesus.