Heart, Soul and Mind, In That Order

Yesterday during worship, I felt like the Lord directed me to Matt 22:37-40 which is a set of verses many of us have heard many times before.  It is where Jesus is asked about the most important commandment.  Here is His response as captured by Matthew 22:37-40 NIV:

[37] "Jesus replied: “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  

I have read this set of verses many times, and meditated on these and even taught on these verses, so my question in my heart was, "what are you saying new this morning , Lord?  Why did you direct me to these particular verses?  I let that question rumble around in my heart and mind while we worshipped, and I tried to give my attention to worship, but felt drawn back to the verses.  I knew that Jesus was quoting the Old Testament here, so I went to the original verses found in Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV:  'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." 

As I was reading though this verse I noticed a slight change, for the last word Jesus, rather than saying "strength", said "mind".  Now I didn't get into any deep research during worship, but I figured that Jesus, while quoting the Old Testament had made the change purposefully.  Mark also records this occurrence and also adds mind to the mix, but also has strength, so it clearly seems to be an added word.  Suffice it to say that this cause me to spend a bit more time looking at the original verses and paying closer attention to what Jesus was saying.

Here is the sense of what I felt like I heard in my heart and mind.  The order of the words (heart, soul and mind) in the command is significant, and today to many of us have reversed the order or left out one or two of the words.  So many of us have the order reversed, and spend the majority of our time loving God with just our mind. The Lord, however, desires to be loved first and foremost in our heart!  The Greek word used here is kardia and while this is obviously the physical organ it also primarily means the very center of the being the combination of physical and spiritual being.  Jesus said in another place that we need to be worshippers in Spirit and Truth, and this would be similar.  The Lord desires to be loved in our hearts first!  

As I was thinking about this, while worshipping, an image of a romance-less marriage popped into my mind.  I saw some couple who were married only in name, but who had no affection, no desire, no longing, no oneness with each other.  They don't think  about each other, they don't consider one another other than in a legal way.  I think this captures a heart-less relationship, and it certainly has no attraction to me.  As I thought about this, I wondered how many of our brothers and sisters are so affected in their relationship with God?

Going back to the list, next is soul, and this was the Greek word psyche, which literally translated is the breath of man, the very core our humanity, our emotions, etc.  Again, this seems to have a deep connection within us, and again, God's desire is for more of us, for our love for Him to go much beyond our mind and thoughts.  While worshipping, I was wondering how many of us are able to love Him with our soul? 

I felt like there was a question for us, when we hear about God, what part of us responds first?  

For me, so often the struggle is to move past the mind into the soul and into the heart!  Often times I find myself battling in my mind to command myself to move past my thinking, into the deeper parts of myself, forcing myself to abandon my thoughts about how others might be seeing me, to move past my cluttered and distracted mind, into a deeper place where I can encounter the Lord with my soul and heart.  

I felt like this was the invitation yesterday, to press past knowledge into places of deeper intimacy with Him!  The Lord, gave this command many years before Jesus, and this has been His desire for us, and it has never changed!  He wants to be loved in our hearts and souls!

One thought I had about why Jesus said mind instead of strength, was that this applicable to Jews He was addressing!  They had been without the Word of the Lord, spoken through a prophet for over 400 years, and it seems to me that possibly much of their religion was head knowledge only (I don't have proof of this, just my opinion). Anyway, I felt like the Lord was essentially approving of this type of love, as long as it was coupled with the deeper love, of heart and soul.

Anyway, I pray that you might be encouraged today, as I was yesterday, to press past loving God with my mind and thoughts, and to learn to love Him more deeply with my soul and heart!  I felt encouraged to press in, knowing that if this is His command, then it must be possible for me to experience.  I want my first reaction, upon hearing about God, or hearing from God, to be moved in my heart!  I want my faith relationship to be characterized by my deep affection and intimacy with the Lord!  I was to worship in Spirit and truth, with all my heart, soul and mind, in that order!

Amen and Amen!