What is love? There are so many conflicting messages about love. Our first step in understanding the virtue of Christian Love is to admit that we know less about love than we think. We need God’s Word to instruct us and dispel all of our false notions. We need God’s power to enable us to love God will all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Until we admit our need and our lack, we will not be able to have the virtue of Christian Love. This is true of the whole Christian life. We get into trouble when we think we know what God wants us to do, and we get so busy trying to do it that we stop listening to God. Then we find ourselves trying to lead God rather than having God lead us. That is when we find ourselves alone in a strange place.

Jesus’ last week was full of teaching and trial. Many who came to him tried to trick him and trip him up. But one scribe went beyond the games others were playing. "These others are wasting our time with trivia. Jesus, what do you think is really important?" I can see Jesus looking at him. "Finally. Here is someone who is interested in the real deal. Here is one who is really interested in living a life with God."

When you think about religious things, do you spend your time in side issues and trivial data? Or are you willing to ask God to take you to the heart of the matter? That is what this man does. He had enough of the sideshows and nonsense and wanted to get to the truth that could change his life. "Teacher, teach me. What do you say is important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Jesus did not quote an obscure passage, but one of the best known and important verses in the Old Testament. It is the shema, which still functions almost like a creed among Jewish people.

What does it mean to love God with everything we have and to love each other? How can we do it? If you fully understand what it means to love God with all you have, you will realize how hard that is to do. In fact, if you are honest, you will admit that you will often have a lot of trouble loving God the way he has commanded us.

To love the Lord with all your heart means that your relationship with God is your central passion and all else falls in line behind it. To love him with all your soul means to love him as if your life depended on it—which it does. To love him with all your mind is difficult. What do you put into your mind? How much of the thousands of hours of television you view helps you love God more with your mind? To love him with all your strength means all your ability, all your finances and all your talents. This is so hard to do. And I haven’t even got to the Love your neighbor as yourself part.

This commandment is not a call to try harder to love God or our neighbors. It is a call to love God and our neighbors. We need help to actually do it the way God has said. We need the Holy Spirit working in us in order to begin to love God the way he asked us to. That is where the virtue of Christian love comes in. God’s Spirit can enable us to begin to love God and other people.

This is the glory of the gospel. God does not set before us a standard and say, "Do the best you can, and if it is not good enough, then you will be in the smoking section for eternity." Our sins are not overlooked. They are forgiven because of Jesus dying on the cross. God’s Holy Spirit moves in us so we can begin to actually love the way God has told us. And when we mess up and sin, which we will, there is still forgiveness in Christ. God’s plan for us is to continue to grow in Christ.

Are you happy with where you are? Don’t be. God has more glorious things in store for you. Look to grow in love. Look to have God’s love grow in you. Look to grow in your ability to love the Lord with your whole heart. Expect to grow in loving the Lord with all your soul. Look to grow in living the Lord with all your mind. Expect to grow in loving the Lord with all your strength. And watch for your love to grow for others as well. We start our Christian life by the power of Christ. We continue it by his Spirit as well.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. How do we know what is loving and what is not? Look at Jesus’ actions and words. May the love of Jesus fill you as the waters fill the sea.