858 B
858 B
Love the Lord your God
Jesus is quoting what God’s law commands people to do in Deuteronomy 6:5.
with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind
This could mean ‘with your whole self’ or ‘with every part of yourself.’
heart
The heart refers to the part of a person that has desires and emotions.
soul
The soul refers to the nonphysical, spiritual part of a person.
strength
Here strength refers to the physical body and all of its abilities.
mind
Here mind refers to the part of a person that thinks, plans, and has ideas.
neighbor
Although the word neighbor normally refers to a person who lives near us,the Jews applied the term to everyone except close relatives, foreigners, and enemies.
love your neighbor as yourself
This could mean ‘love your neighbor to the same extent that you love yourself.’