“Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31
Dear members and friends,
“Love” is an essential and central element for many religious faiths, especially Christians. In Gospels, Jesus lifts up love as the greatest commandment. In Mark, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Understanding what it means to love has been and still is foundational to all Christians. Yet, what makes the matter of love more complicated could be found in John 21, where Jesus asks Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” To this, Peter answers, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” What makes this question and answer complicated is two fold: 1. Jesus asks this simple question to Peter three times; 2. In Greek, the word Jesus uses for love is agapao, while the word Peter uses is phileo. What makes this conversation between Jesus and Peter even more interesting is that at the third time, Jesus does not agapao, but phileo. It seems that there is a quality that Jesus expects of humans while also acknowledging human inability to cultivate that quality and thus accepting less.
The Hebrew word for love is a verb, aheb, which expresses not only emotion, but action-oriented commitment. According to a dictionary, “the Hebrew verb aheb primarily denotes the concept of love, encompassing a range of meanings from deep affection and friendship to romantic and covenantal love.” Also, aheb is inclusive of loyalty, faithfulness, and commitment. Therefore, we could understand that love in the Bible is definitely much more than our emotional feeling, and inclusive of our caring and supportive actions toward those we claim to love. Thus, to love in the Bible means a wholistic commitment and dedication for the well-being of or the honor of the one whom we claim to love.
My brothers and sisters in God, let us take a moment of time this week, and meditate on what it means to have love and act out our love to others. Then, let us invite the love from God to flow through us, and guide us to live a life that is pleasing to the sight of God.
Blessings,
Rev. Junchol Lee