我想一開始我們需要確定一件事──愛一個你不喜歡的人是可能的。為什麼﹖因為愛是意志的行為，而「喜歡」是情感的產物。喜歡某人的意思是對他有好感；愛某人則是追求他最大的益處。你可以謀求一個世界上最不討人喜歡的人最大益處，只要你決意這麼做。

        在本章，耶穌回答了一個文士的問題。他對耶穌的辯才印象深刻，便問耶穌誡命中哪一條最重要。耶穌沒有引用十誡中的任何一條，而是提到申命記六章四至五節。祂說最大的誡命是盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛上帝；並且也要以同樣的方式愛人如己。

        「心、性、意、力」所指為何﹖「心」顯然是指情感。「力」指意志。而那個文士在卅三節用「智」來總括「性和意」。總而言之，耶穌說我們要用全部的情感、意志、和智力來愛上帝──也就是我們的思想、情感、和行為。

        試著用一幅同心圓圖（像箭靶盤）來想像你對上帝的愛。最外圈，也是最大、最顯而易見的部分是你對上帝的感覺。接近中心的第二圈是你對祂的想法，靶眼是你出於對祂的感覺和思想所產生的行為。的確，你愛上帝最真實的呈現就是你的行為。根據耶穌的定義，愛上帝不是說說、唱唱便了事，而是表現在行為上。

        噢主，我們的上帝，施恩使我能真正用行為而不只是用言語來愛您。為此之故，我將我的感情、意志、和智力獻給您。奉主耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

English

        I think we need to establish something right off the top – it’s possible to love someone you don’t like. Why? Because love is an act of the will, whereas “like” is the product of the emotions. To like someone means to feel good about him, to love someone means to seek his highest good. And you can seek the highest good of the most dislikeable person on earth, if you choose to.

        In this chapter, Jesus responds to one of the teachers of the law who, impressed with Jesus’ debating skills, asks Him which commandment is of most importance. Rather than quoting one of the ten commandments, Jesus refers to Deuteronomy 6:4, 5. The greatest commandment, He says, is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength. And, in this context, one should love one’s neighbors and one’s self the same way.

        So what do “heart, souls, mind, and strength: refer to? “Heart” obviously refers to the emotions. “Strength” refers to the will. And, “souls and mind”, interestingly, are summed up by the scribe in verse 33 (NIV) as “understanding” or intelligence. To summarize, Jesus says we’re to love God with all our emotion, intelligence, and will – our feeling, thinking, and doing.

        Try to think of your love for God graphically, in terms of three concentric circles (like an archery target). On the outside, the largest and most visible circle is how you feel about God. A little closer to center is your thinking about Him, and the bull’s-eye is what you’re doing about that feeling and thinking. Indeed, the core of your love for God is your action. In Jesus’ terms, love for God isn’t something you say or sing, it’s something you do.

        O Lord, our God, give me grace to truly love You in deed and not in word only. For this purpose I give You my emotions, my intelligence, and my will.