Mark 12:28-30, Luke 10:25-28, Matt 22:35-40
In the Old Testament the 600 plus laws were summarized with the first or great command. This is the command that Jesus declared the Law and the Prophets hang on. This is the command that Jesus affirms to the lawyer when he ask “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
When we look at the “great command” we find different aspects that man should express towards God such as:
- Love God with Heart, soul, might – Deut 6:5
- Fear, walk, love, serve God with heart and soul – Deut 10:12
- Love God and serve with heart and soul – Deut 11:13
- Love God with all heart and soul – Deut 13:3
Matthew, Mark and Luke summarize these with love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Mark and Luke include the Old Testament ingredient of might or strength. The foundation of the great command and eternal life is this idea of love toward God and doing it with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
In English we currently use the word love principally as an expression of feeling. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my wife. In the Greek language they actually had different words to indicate the type of love and for whom it was directed. Our love for an acquaintance (Philadelphia – the city of brotherly love) is different than our love towards a spouse (Eros or erotic). When Jesus is speaking about love he is then telling us who it is directed for and what qualities are in the “mixture.” It is more than just a feeling.
We will talk more about the “mixture” later for that will be the basis of our walk with Jesus. For now, let’s think of “love God” as being a “mixture” (not just a feeling) that is directed toward God. Love is a two way street and we will see that God also has “love” which is directed toward us and again this is “mixture” which is more than just a feeling.
When we examine heart, soul, mind and strength we several aspects of man being presented. The first three are unseen qualities of man while strength in the law and prophets can indicate the physical qualities of man. Soul is associated with the spiritual side of man while heart, mind and strength are associated with the earthly side of man. Heart is often used to refer to the emotional side of man while mind is used to refer to the logical or analytical side of man. The final item that is thrown in is the little word “all.”
What the “great command” is saying is that our directed mixture toward God is coming from every part of a person all of the time. Not just the emotional but also the logical, the spiritual, and the physical side of man.
