The Greatest Commandment

What is Love

Took a step out of the old comfort zone and delivered a sermon at church last Sunday. Here are some excerpts…

The Greatest Commandment. We Read in Matthew that on of the commandments is more important than all of the others.

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [a]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

- Matthew 22:36-40 NASB

This is passage is simple and straightforward. If you are a Christian than obeying this one should be nothing. But let’s look closer to see if we are really understanding this passage correctly.

To me it is clear that there is a key word, upon which our understanding of this passage hangs:

..You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [a]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself..

Love, what is Love?

Merriam-Websters says:

Love –

1. strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
2. affection and tenderness felt by lovers
3. affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
4. warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion

With this definition, we get this basic understanding:

..You shall (have a strong affection for) the Lord your God..

..You shall (have affection and tenderness toward) the Lord your God..

..You shall (have a warm attachment to) the Lord your God..

Simple enough. But we need to be sure we are using the correct definition. So let’s look at how God defines the word by digging into the Bible a little more for examples of God/Jesus loving others.

Isaiah 63:9

 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

John 3:16

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:35

 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.

John 15:13

 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:8

 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 3:16

 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

John 14:15

 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments

John 14:21

 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

John 14:23

 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him”

Romans 14:15

 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

If you go through all of these examples you will notice that not once does God love someone with merely an affection, devotion, or thought. Look at the key words. In almost every case there is an associated action:

-          Lifting up

-          Giving

-          Sacrificing

-          Obeying

-          Being considerate/ not harming

Love is not just a feeling of strong affection or devotion, but an affection that inevitably leads to action by the one who has it. And those actions are for the benefit of the one loved not the one who loves. So then our verse now reads:

..You shall (have a strong affection that leads you to take action for) the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind..

God did not love us with a passive love! His love was made real by the actions He took toward us for our benefit.

We need to love God with an active love that leads us to take actions that will please Him. Do not take actions for their own sake, but we all need to let our love of God drive us to take bold action. You can not obey this command passively in your own mind, true obedience to this command will be life changing.

Thanks again for your time,

Chief