And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus doesn't just repeat a command; He unveils the totality of God's desire for us. The phrase "with all your..." isn't about a divided devotion, but about integrating every fiber of our being – our deepest emotions, our will, our physical energy, and our intellect – into a complete surrender to God.
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
A lawyer, wanting to test Jesus, asks how to inherit eternal life, prompting Jesus to turn the question back, asking what the Law itself teaches. The lawyer then recites the core commands to love God completely and love one's neighbor as oneself, which Jesus affirms as the path to life. This exchange immediately sets the stage for the lawyer's follow-up question, "Who is my neighbor?" to which Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Jesus didn't just give us rules; He called us to a radical, all-encompassing love for God. But what does it truly mean to love Him with 'all your heart, soul, strength, and mind'?
Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5, the Shema, which was the central confession of Jewish faith. This isn't just about feeling good; it's about directing every part of your being toward God.
Heart: Our Inner Self
This refers to our deepest emotions, desires, and intentions. It's the core of who we are.
Soul: Our Life Force
This encompasses our entire existence, our very life and will. It's about dedicating our whole being to God.
Strength: Our Utmost Effort
This points to our physical energy and all the power we possess. It means giving God our best and strongest efforts.
Mind: Our Intellect and Understanding
This involves our thoughts, reasoning, and comprehension. It’s about engaging our minds in knowing and obeying God.
Jesus immediately follows the command to love God with a second, equally vital commandment. Why is loving our neighbor inseparable from loving God?
The second commandment, 'love your neighbor as yourself,' is presented as 'like it' – essentially on the same level of importance. This isn't an afterthought; it's the natural outflow of a genuine love for God.
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The Divine Image in Others
When we love God, we begin to see others as He sees them – as His creation, made in His image. This calls us to treat them with the same value and respect we give ourselves.
Consistency in Faith
As one commentator put it, 'There will never be true charity towards neighbors, unless where the love of God reigns.' Our love for God is incomplete and inconsistent if it doesn't extend to the people around us.
A Complete Picture
Jesus later explains through the parable of the Good Samaritan that 'neighbor' isn't limited to those we like or agree with. True love transcends prejudice and actively seeks the well-being of others.
Understand the original words
agapaō · Greek Verb
A state of strong affection, devotion, and sacrificial commitment, modeled after God's own nature. In a biblical context, it is not merely an emotion but an act of the will focused on the well-being and honor of the object of love.
kardia · Greek Noun
The center of human personality, encompassing the seat of the intellect, emotions, volition, and moral consciousness. In Scripture, it is the primary locus of one's inner commitment to God.
psychē · Greek Noun
The inner life or personhood; it represents the seat of life and the human spirit as it relates to the divine. It signifies the individual life force created by God.
ischys · Greek Noun
In this context, it refers to the physical and mental energy or capacity one possesses. It underscores that all human power and faculty should be entirely consecrated to the service of God.
dianoia · Greek Noun
The faculty of thought, understanding, and reason. Biblically, it signifies the need to employ one's intellect to know God and understand His word.
plēsion · Greek Noun
Any person with whom one comes into contact, particularly those in one's community or sphere of influence. Jesus expanded this concept beyond tribal or religious boundaries to include all people as objects of required love.
This is the Old Testament passage that Jesus quotes, establishing the foundational command to love God with one's entire being.
Leviticus 19:18This passage provides the second part of Jesus' answer, the command to love one's neighbor as oneself, highlighting the importance of interpersonal love.
Matthew 22:37-40This parallel account in Matthew shows Jesus giving the exact same answer to a similar question, emphasizing that these two commandments are the greatest.
Romans 13:9-10Paul echoes Jesus' teaching, explaining that the commands to love God and neighbor are the fulfillment of the entire law, showing the practical outworking of these commands.
1 John 4:7-8This passage connects love for God with love for others, stating that love originates from God and that those who claim to love God must also love their brothers and sisters.
barnesLuke 10:27: "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
See this subject explained in the notes at Matthew 22:37-40 .
wesleyLuke 10:27: "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
10:27 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God - That is, thou shalt unite all the faculties of thy soul to render him the most intelligent and sincere, the most affectionate and resolute service. We may safely rest in this general sense of these important words, if we are not able to fix the particular meaning o…
Jesus doesn't just repeat a command; He unveils the totality of God's desire for us. The phrase "with all your..." isn't about a divided devotion, but about integrating every fiber of our being – our deepest emotions, our will, our physical energy, and our intellect – into a complete surrender to God.
A lawyer, wanting to test Jesus, asks how to inherit eternal life, prompting Jesus to turn the question back, asking what the Law itself teaches. The lawyer then recites the core commands to love God completely and love one's neighbor as oneself, which Jesus affirms as the path to life. This exchange immediately sets the stage for the lawyer's follow-up question, "Who is my neighbor?" to which Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
A lawyer, wanting to test Jesus, asks how to inherit eternal life, prompting Jesus to turn the question back, asking what the Law itself teaches. The lawyer then recites the core commands to love God completely and love one's neighbor as oneself, which Jesus affirms as the path to life. This exchange immediately sets the stage for the lawyer's follow-up question, "Who is my neighbor?" to which Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
"And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”" — Jesus doesn't just repeat a command; He unveils the totality of God's desire for us. The phrase "with all your..." isn't about a divided devotion, but about integrating every fiber of our being – o…
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Last reviewed October 2026