Some tricksters asked Jesus “What is the greatest commandment?” He responded by mashing together two excerpts from the Book of the Law: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And, Love your neighbor as yourself. His epic, mic-drop response has come to be referred to as “The Greatest Commandment.” Today, many in our church world simplify it even further with the simple statement “Love God, Love People.” Much has been said these past few years on the subject of loving people. We talk about the application of that mandate, and what it looks like in the context of our world today. But, sometimes I wonder if we’ve skipped over the first part of that commandment too quickly. It’s almost as though the phrase “Love God” is so obvious, such a foregone conclusion, such a given, that we kind of just gloss over it without much emphasis. But there it is, the “first and greatest commandment,” and it doesn’t just say “Love God.” It’s much deeper than that, much more profound, much weightier. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” To me, this sounds like a commitment of the highest level. Indeed, it’s a commitment of one’s entire being. It reads almost like a vow.
Indeed, it reminds me of a marriage vow. And I can’t help but think of the vast difference between feeling “in love” with someone and actually making a vow, a commitment to love someone with your entire being. We must be careful that in celebrating the goodness of God and the Father-love that He extends to us that we don’t lose sight of the magnitude of the commitment that is asked of us, even commanded to us. It’s known as the Greatest Commandment, and although it can be translated or interpreted in slightly different ways, there’s no mistaking the fact that Jesus is talking about us choosing to love God with every part of our beings.
I can’t help but wonder if the “Love People” concept wouldn’t be so difficult if we fully grasped the depth of what “Love God” really entails. Is our love for Him an emotional feeling, or is it a heart, soul, body, and mind commitment to love the One who first loved us?
I know that I haven’t been nearly focused enough on this commitment to love God with my entire being. The kind of love that God is asking for (even commanding) is an all-consuming commitment of our entire being.
And so, when our brains are going haywire with information overload, maybe the best remedy is to simply renew that sacred vow, to once again commit to loving God with every piece of our existence. After all, it’s the Greatest…
for underdogs & kings... 