The Greatest Command

The Greatest Command

Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30, NIV). This command is not new. You can find it in Deuteronomy 6:5, where the only thing left out is the mind. I always wondered why Jesus added the word “mind,” or why God left it out. I believe the answer lies in the languages used to write the passages. The answer will unfold as we examine each component.

The word “heart” in Deuteronomy refers to the mind and comes from a root word that means “to get intelligence.” It also refers to the seat of the appetites or emotions of a person. In the Hebrew language, appetites, desires, and emotions had some connection with the mind.


The word for heart found in Mark 12:30 denotes the physical and spiritual center of life. It refers to the emotional characteristics of the mind, such as desire, passion, and appetites. This word for heart excludes the rational side of the mind, and I believe that is why Jesus adds the word mind in Mark 12:30. The word “mind” in Greek refers to thoughts and the process of thinking. It therefore takes both Greek words, heart and mind, to accurately reflect the Hebrew word for heart.

In Genesis, God gave Adam life by breathing into his nostril. The word “soul” in both languages refers to breathing. The soul refers to an eternal part of our makeup, the very core of who we are. This essence of who we are also affects our desires, appetites, emotions, and thoughts.

Strength in both Greek and Hebrew refers to might, power, and ability. Strength implies that we are to love God with our actions and abilities. I have the ability to troubleshoot and repair problems with technical equipment. It would be unwise for me not to use that ability in showing my love to God.

Many times we use examples or paraphrasing to help us understand passages. This paraphrase helps me to understand it: Love the Lord your God with all your desires, appetites, thoughts, emotions, with every breath you take, and through action with all of your ability and power. As with all the positive commands, it is hard to define a requirement for this one. It would be easier if He had specified us a minimum amount of time and work we were to do for Him. You know 15 minutes of prayer and Bible study in the morning and at night and we could check it off. But no, He wants it all. You see He does not want one day in seven, He wants every second of our life.

My wife uses an analogy that I believe makes a valid and true point. This analogy can also help you gauge where you are when it comes to the loving God command. My wife, Ginger explains, “When I met you and fell in love with you, I wanted to tell everyone about you. I would catch myself mentioning you every time I talked to someone. When you love someone you talk about them.” Ginger hit the nail on the head with this analogy; we talk about the things that are important to us, things we love. Do you talk about God or Jesus outside of Sunday morning?