The Greatest of These is Love: Understanding the Heart of the Gospel

Over the last couple of months, I’ve found myself drawn again and again to the scriptures on love. Not just the poetic lines we quote at weddings or the tender language that speaks to both the romantic and the empath in me, but the deeper heartbeat of the gospel. This is the reason Jesus reduced the commandments to just two: Love God. Love your neighbour. That simplicity struck a chord in me.

The Struggle with Love

Recently, I felt my own love growing tired. The weight of life made me retreat into myself. In a world where so much is done “in God’s name,” the state of relationships and the headlines made me question the very core of the gospel. I know the scriptures, yet some days, my heart feels numb in the midst of this cold world.

But it was in that moment that God reminded me: Love is still the centrepiece of everything. In a world that measures faith by achievement, influence, or doctrine and uprightness, Jesus measured it by love. He could have chosen any commandment: keep the Sabbath, honour your parents, or do not steal. He didn't; rather, He summed up the entire law in love. And I began to wonder: why?

The Question That Changed It All

Picture this: Matthew 22. A Pharisee, a scholar who’d spent his entire life studying the law, approaches Jesus with a question designed to trap Him: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied without hesitation:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22: 37-40

In that moment, Jesus didn’t dismiss the old commandments; He distilled them. He revealed that every law about justice, purity, kindness, and truth points back to one thing: Love is the essence of God’s order.

The Divine Order of Love

As I reflected, I began to see that love has an order, a sacred rhythm: God first. Others next. Self last.

When we love God first, we see the world through His heart, humble, patient, and full of grace. When we love others next, love takes form. It becomes service, empathy, and forgiveness. And when we love ourselves rightly, not from pride but from gratitude, we stop looking to people for validation. Only God can give that.

God knows loving ourselves comes naturally; loving others is where the real work begins. In a world that celebrates independence and self-focus, loving our neighbour can feel countercultural. But love asks us to open our hands when life makes us want to close them. We receive God’s love personally, but we reveal it relationally, and that is why Jesus commanded it.

But when that order flips? Everything falls apart.

• Self first: love becomes self-interest (selfishness).

• Others first: love becomes dependency.

• God last: love loses its foundation; it becomes conditional, anxious, and easily corrupted.

  
  

Love as the Fulfilment of the Law

Paul, who once enforced the law with zeal, later wrote: “Love is the fulfilment of the law.” (Romans 13:10) Maybe he finally realised that rules without love produce religion without compassion. Love fulfils the law not by abolishing righteousness but by giving it life.

When we love God, obedience flows naturally, not from fear but from devotion. When we love people, morality becomes more than rule-keeping; it becomes a relationship. Love doesn’t erase righteousness; it animates it. Love isn’t soft; it is sacred strength.

When Love Grows Cold: Love in Today's World

If love sits at the centre of everything, then maybe the coldness of our age comes from displacing it. We have systems, rights, and technologies, but fewer hearts that burn with compassion. We are more connected than ever, yet we have never been more isolated.

Jesus warned: “Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Perhaps that’s what we’re witnessing: a civilisation that has mastered expression but forgotten the essence of genuine affection. A world that can debate theology and doctrines but struggles to show mercy.

The Challenge of Modern Love

In today's fast-paced world, love often gets lost amidst distractions. Social media can create an illusion of connection while fostering loneliness. The challenge lies in nurturing authentic relationships. We must strive to embody love in our daily interactions, even when it feels difficult.

Rekindling the Flame of Love

To combat the coldness, we must actively choose love. This means reaching out to others, showing kindness, and being present. It requires vulnerability and the courage to care deeply. Love is not merely a feeling; it is an action that demands our attention and commitment.

Yet Love Remains the Greatest

Faith can move mountains. Hope carries us through darkness. But love changes the hearts of men. Love is heaven’s native language. Love is God’s chosen measure. Love is the truest mark of maturity. That’s why Jesus reduced everything to love. Not because love is easier, but because it is eternal. Not because it asks little, but because it asks everything of us.

“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these, still and always, is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Next Sunday, I want to take you through what love is not, reading Paul’s timeless words as if he were sitting with us today, looking at our world, our struggles, and our distractions. Because sometimes the best way to recognise real love is to call out what it's not.

Love,

Mofoluke ❤