28Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, ^perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"

Elizabeth Barrett Browning asked in her infamous poem: "How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways." How do we love God? Jesus said, four ways. Since the perfect example of one loving God would be Jesus. His example is our guide for how to love God in this four-fold dimension.

The heart speaks of our passion.

The driving force of Jesus’ life was one thing – to do the will of the Father who had sent Him.

John 5:19 "Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."

John 5:30 "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."

John 6: 38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

John 8:29 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

The direction of our life comes out of our passion. In the long run, over the long haul - our will, our emotions, our decisions will always follow our passion.

Since Jesus’ drive was to do the will of the Father, then his decisions reflected that drive.

This sense of obedience became that which was his duty.

Statements like "I must go through Samaria, The Son of Man must suffer, Let this cup pass from me, never less not my will but Thine be done."

John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

John 14: 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

John 14: 23-24 "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me."

John 14: 31 "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here."

Doing the will of the Father was the delight of Jesus. IT became His very joy.

John 15: 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

Why? Because He believed that the Father loved Him. He thought right about God.

John 5: 19-20 "Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel."

I John 3: 1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!"

You will not love someone who you think doesn’t love you.

Your passion gives you strength and power. And the power is to do what God calls you to do.

John 4: 32, 34 "But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.’

Hebrews 12: 2-3 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."