With all our heart, soul and mind

With all our heart, soul and mind

Scripture:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

Observation:

The run of testing continues for the Lord. Pharisees and Sadduccess are likewise silenced and the awe of the people grows at the wisdom of the Lord. Just then, an expert in the law tests him a tough question “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”. The natural reaction of most people would be to name the first of the ten commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me”. However, the Lord instead quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5, that we are to love the Lord our God with all your heart and all our soul and all our mind.

What is love? There is the love between a man and a woman (Eros), a brotherly love (Phileo), and than unconditional love (Agape). It is Agape here that is applicable, a love so strong that it continues even in the face of every hardship, a love that persists even when not reciprocated. True Agape love can only originate in God. It is only when we receive God’s Agape love, that we are able to reciprocate to love Him and to love others.

Love is not merely an emotion, but also a mindset, a choice, a conscious decision to set ourselves to do and wish for the very best of the other person. To love God is to seek to do what pleases Him.

The way we love God is described in the Scripture here as “with all your heart”, “all your soul” and “all your mind”. What is the difference between heart, soul and mind?

The basic Hebrew Word used here actually means to love God with our all. However, in an effort to help the reader understand more completely, translators try to segregate it as heart, soul, and mind, or heart, soul, mind and strength.

The heart speaks of our emotion. The mind speaks of concentrating and thinking solely about God. The soul speaks of our innermost being, our spirit man. Strength speaks of our body. Basically, all that we have belongs to God, and we are to worship Him with all we have.

Humanly, it is impossible to obey this commandment perfectly all the time, every waking hour, every minute and second. In fact, based on this commandment alone, all fall short of the glory of God. We all need Jesus as Savior to save us. It is only after salvation, when empowered by the Spirit, that we can love God in this way.

“The second commandment is just like the first” Jesus says. And to love our neighbor as ourselves truly all the time is also not possible in our human effort. At all times, our internal selves call out to satisfy our own lusts and wants first. How hard it is to put others before ourselves. Yet in the Spirit, we are able to do so. However, it is a lifelong process to learn to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Application:

The Jews meditated on this verse daily, reminding themselves the important of loving God again and again. How often do we ask ourselves if we are loving God? Practice, even in a quiet moment, to just close our eyes and firstly think of His perfect Agape love for us. Then seek to love God with all our heart, letting the Spirit flow through us and love Him. Fill our mind’s eye with thoughts of seeking Jesus, clothed all in White, loving and gentle. Focus on loving the Lord from the deepest part of our being. Pray to the Lord regularly to teach us to love Him this way.

Remember the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. As we interact with others, constantly consider “if I were them, what would they like me to do?” When we encounter resistance from our own needs, pray to the Lord for strength to have that servanthood mindset according to His will.

Prayer:

We praise You and love You, Lord, for You first loved us. Shower us with Your love, loving Heavenly Father, that we may learn how to reciprocate and love You with Your perfect, agape love. Teach us to fill our minds with loving You, to love You with all our emotions, to love You from our innermost spirit.

Teach us too to love others O Lord, even as we love ourselves. Help us to have that servanthood mindset, that we may learn to treat others as better than ourselves, and to genuinely care for others and help them where we can.