Love the LORD: how we are to do this

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“you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” (See Dt 6:5 and Mk 12:30 )

Jewish commentaries have debated whether and how we can have a command to have an emotion, in this case, love.

The historical-critical method has observed that Deuteronomy has the structure and wording of a treaty between a sovereign and a vassal, common in parts of the Middle East in Biblical times. And, in particular, the treaty would have such a statement, for the vassal to “love” the sovereign.

In that context, in this “genre” of writing, there is only one meaning of “love” and that is for the vassal to be faithful and to obey the sovereign.

The analysis of the biblical text, in this example, requires going outside of the scriptures to recognize the origin and meaning of the words.

The task of interpreting the meaning of the scriptures is easier for a Christian, because we don’t have to go outside of the scriptures for the key to understanding.

In Jn 14:15 Jesus provides the key to understanding Dt 6:5, and, incidentally, validates the conclusion of the historical-critical interpretation. Jesus says “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” Love means to obey.

This also provides insight to the difference in wording of this command in Mt 22:37 and Mk 12:30. Mt says to love the LORD with heart, soul, and mind. Mk says to love the LORD with heart, soul, mind, and might.

These verses are different but there is no distinction between them. We are to love the LORD with our whole being, no matter how it is put in words.
 
All “commentaries” aside, we can never hope to Love God as He deserves to be Loved. Therefore we Love Him best by honoring his commands and Loving our neighbor to the best of our ability. Seeking, in that neighborly Love, to be perfect. (You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect)

Peace
James
 
Too many times we reduce “love” to an emotion.

Loving someone with all your heart, soul, and mind is a lifetime’s work. It means you wish to do everything in your power to make someone happy, to be with them - all while trying to become closer to them, to serve them…

And yes, to the previous poster JRKH, all we can do is fall short of this.
 
We can love God by showing our love (the much discussed “works”) in the concrete ways Christ gave us: feed the poor, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, etc.
Lots of times I don’t feel particularly loving to a person however I know I do love them and I continue to behave in a loving manner until that lovin’ feelin’ comes back.
I have always found it hard to understand why Protestants disconnect works from what we are supposed to do, for heaven’s sake if you love someone, you do what you know will make them happy or how are they going to know you love them? Just because you say so? I’m sorry, my unfaithful first husband insisted he loved me but, ya’ know, that just isn’t the way someone who loves behaves.
 
Love isn’t the equivalent of obedience. Obedience is simply a natural outgrowth of love of God-as we come to learn the supreme value of His wisdom - of Himself.

The New Covenant is a covenant of grace. This provides the key to how man can love as he should-he can only obey with the help of God-after coming to know his need for Him-not the need for obedience first of all, which was the position the Old Covenant took-but of our need to know and love Him first of all-which fulfills the commandments.

**"…love is the fulfillment of the law." **Rom13:10

If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the enticement of wages, . . . we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for him who commands . . . we are in the position of children. St Basil

1965 The New Law or the Law of the Gospel is the perfection here on earth of the divine law, natural and revealed. It is the work of Christ and is expressed particularly in the Sermon on the Mount. It is also the work of the Holy Spirit and through him it becomes the interior law of charity: "I will establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel. . . . I will put my laws into their hands, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."19

**1966 The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit given to the faithful through faith in Christ. It works through charity; it uses the Sermon on the Mount to teach us what must be done and makes use of the sacraments to give us the grace to do it

1972 The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity and, finally, lets us pass from the condition of a servant who “does not know what his master is doing” to that of a friend of Christ - “For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” - or even to the status of son and heir.31

2013 "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity."65 All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."66

2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle.68 Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes**

Our justification- the process of becoming just by being perfected in love-* is* our salvation

We turn to God (and even this comes by His initiative) after actually coming to see our failure at obeying/loving as we should.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. Jer 31

For myself, I doubt I’d be Christian if not for those promises.
 
=Crumpy;7344081]“you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” (See Dt 6:5 and Mk 12:30 )
Click to expand...
Jewish commentaries have debated whether and how we can have a command to have an emotion, in this case, love.
Click to expand...
The historical-critical method has observed that Deuteronomy has the structure and wording of a treaty between a sovereign and a vassal, common in parts of the Middle East in Biblical times. And, in particular, the treaty would have such a statement, for the vassal to “love” the sovereign.
Click to expand...
In that context, in this “genre” of writing, there is only one meaning of “love” and that is for the vassal to be faithful and to obey the sovereign.
Click to expand...
The analysis of the biblical text, in this example, requires going outside of the scriptures to recognize the origin and meaning of the words.
Click to expand...
The task of interpreting the meaning of the scriptures is easier for a Christian, because we don’t have to go outside of the scriptures for the key to understanding.
Click to expand...
In Jn 14:15 Jesus provides the key to understanding Dt 6:5, and, incidentally, validates the conclusion of the historical-critical interpretation. Jesus says “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” Love means to obey.
Click to expand...
This also provides insight to the difference in wording of this command in Mt 22:37 and Mk 12:30. Mt says to love the LORD with heart, soul, and mind. Mk says to love the LORD with heart, soul, mind, and might.
Click to expand...
These verses are different but there is no distinction between them. We are to love the LORD with our whole being, no matter how it is put in words.
Click to expand...
THREE THINGS ARE NECESSARY [AND POSSIBLE:)]

REALLY KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY

LIVING OUR FAITH “ON THE HILLSIDE” OF LIFE FOR ALL TO SEE

DO MORE THAN OUR FAIR-SHARE OF EVANGALIZATION WORK.👍

God Bles,
Pat
 
Crumpy said:
Well, obedience comes in there someplace, no need to quibble. It’s in there.
Click to expand...
Yes, you’re right-and I should’ve read your post more thoroughly.I guess my point would be that love is more than an emotion- and something larger than mere obedience.
 
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