‘Crazy Love’ IV

Today’s teaching is going to look at living out God’s extravagant Love.

Matthew 22:36 (34 - 40)
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Everything revolves around our capacity to LOVE GOD and LOVE OURSELVES and LOVE OTHERS
… this is the answer to all your problems … in fact, it’s the GOD answer to every problem in the world.

I would like to get a bit of a deeper understanding by looking at the different Greek words used here:

love - agapao
def … to love dearly – to be fond of – to welcome and receive


heart – kardia
def. … center of our being – seat of our affection – center of physical & spiritual life
Jn 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
II Thess 3:4-5 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Loving God with all our heart …
- God’s meeting point of choice.
- To the degree that I submit (give) my heart to him, is the measure that he can rule in my life.


soul – psuche
def … breath of life – moral aspect of our lives – our will, willingness to yield
Eph 6:5-7 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart
Jam 1:21 Wherefore (you) lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Loving God with all my soul …
- Willingly listen, obey and follow Christ.
- My will is more powerful then God.


mind – dianoia
def … thinking, thought – understanding – feeling & emotions
I John 5:19-20 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Loving God with all my mind …
- Directing my thoughts to agree with the Bible.
- Preferring his life giving understanding to navigate me through this life and through eternity.

Matthew 22:34-40