Mark 12:28-34, Love (1)

When you think about it, the entire Bible speaks of the love of God.  Actually, from the Bible’s point of view, there is no quality of life more important to humanity than “love.”  That is where we want to begin in what will be just a few posts on this “fruit of the Spirit.”  We don’t intend to be exhaustive.  We intend, rather, to highlight certain truths about love, beginning with its importance.

The importance of love.

·       Matt. 22:37-39/Mark 12:28-34: During the “passion week” Jesus was asked many questions by people who were seeking to discredit Him.  This story seems to involve a question from one of the scribes who spoke with integrity.  The question was, “what is the greatest commandment?”  According to the Jews there were 613 commands.  The scribe asked which one was the greatest (Mt. 22:36), meaning which was first in rank and importance (Mk. 12:28).

o   Jesus’ answer was to speak of the two greatest commands and both had to do with love.  Love is the fundamental characteristic of a person who desires to worship God.  Before stating the commandment Jesus quotes the “Shema,” a creed quoted daily by religious Jews.  The truth that “the LORD is one” is the reason why the love of humans for God must be total.  The word “all” (22:29) which is four times in Mark (three in Matthew) simply means wholly or completely.  We shall allow Albert Barnes to bless us with this kind of devotion.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart - The meaning of this is, thou shalt love him with all thy faculties or powers. Thou shalt love him supremely, more than all other beings and things, and with all the ardor possible. To love him with all the heart is to fix the affections supremely on him, more strongly than on anything else, and to be willing to give up all that we hold dear at his command.

With all thy soul - Or, with all thy "life." This means, to be willing to give up the life to him, and to devote it all to his service; to live to him, and to be willing to die at his command.

With all thy mind - To submit the "intellect" to his will. To love his law and gospel more than we do the decisions of our own minds. To be willing to submit all our faculties to his teaching and guidance, and to devote to him all our intellectual attainments and all the results of our intellectual efforts.

"With all thy strength" (Mark). With all the faculties of soul and body. To labor and toil for his glory, and to make that the great object of all our efforts.

This is enough to chew on (meditate on) today, to ask God to help us with such love.