Jesus is a master at knowing how to respond to questions based on who he is talking to. He is a good listener. Sometimes, he chooses to not answer (11:33); elsewhere, he blatantly corrects (12:27). In this situation, he answers directly and encourages a teachable scribe. The question asked in this passage concerns the heart of the Laws of God. The answer is known as the Shema (meaning "listen" from Deuteronomy 6). It boils down to "love God with everything and love others."