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Article Archive |
2009
More Important Than All Sacrifices
By Jim Morris
A Jewish teacher of the Law asked Jesus the question, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28). Jesus answered him saying, “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (12:29-30).
“How can God command love?” I wondered. “Either you feel it or not, right? Can we actually choose to love God?”
A closer look at the words spoken by Jesus in their original languages seemed to be a good place to start. The English language is bad about blending definitions of words to the point that they lose their original meaning.
First, the word Jesus used for LOVE was the Greek word, “agape.” It describes the kind and quality of love that God desires from us. The apostle Paul defines it this way: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
Second, the quantity of love God desires is described by the different facets of our being. The kind of love God deserves is a fourfold love encompassing our whole being.
To love God with all our HEART (kardia) is to love from the very center of our being. It is the place deep within us where our emotions, thoughts and will reside.
To love God with all our SOUL (psyche) is to love Him with our very life. It is where our personality and identity as an individual is found.
To love God with all our MINDS (dianoia) is to love Him in our thoughts, reflections and meditations. It is the place where we literally “think through” ideas.
To love God with all our STRENGTH (ischys) is to love Him with our power, might and energy. It begins from within us and expresses itself through our outward actions.
Therefore, to love God fully we must involve our emotions, our personality, our thoughts and our actions. It is to love Him with our whole being. We can love God, and our neighbor, because He showed us how (1 John 4:19; John 13:34-35).
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (12:32-33).
03-25-09
# 12
