The New Testament word for heart is kardia, from which we get cardiac and cardiology, words with which I am sadly too familiar. According to the Bible Study Tools’ Bible Dictionary, between the New Testament word, kardia and the Old Testament word, lebab, “heart” occurs more than 1,000 times in the Bible. That makes it the most human-related word in scripture. That also means that matters of the heart are important to God.  A Stanford University article on A History of the Heart1 tells us that in the fourth century B.C., the Greek philosopher Aristotle thought that the heart was the seat of intelligence. In later centuries, scientific understanding of the heart and its role in blood circulation were combined with cultural understanding that made it the “seat of emotions”. As far back as the ancient Egyptians, the heart was understood in this way. The Bible reflects all of this imagery in its many appeals to the heart.

Today, we understand that our intelligence and emotions are actually seated somewhere within our brain, yet we still use the image of the heart to talk about feelings. You might be surprised to know that the word kardia, for heart in the New Testament is never once used to refer to that big muscle beating in your chest. It’s always used to refer to the center of your spiritual life. When you are told to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Mark 12:30) you are not being told to relate your circulation pump to your Lord. Instead, you are commanded to give Him all of your love, all of your emotions, and all of your spiritual being (including your brain) without holding back. Everything. Every little bit.

In February, when we celebrate love through Saint Valentine’s Day, we talk a lot about our feelings for one another, particularly our feelings toward a special someone in our life whom we care about more than any other. Revelation 2:4 talks about our love of Jesus in this way. John charges the Ephesians with having lost their “first love” or the “love you had at first”. The language   suggests not only that they had a greater love for Jesus when they first knew Him but also that the love for our Lord is/should be their first priority.

As we approach the celebration of Saint Valentine, let it remind us of our love of Christ. Let it remind us that our love should burn as passionately now as it did when we first loved Him and that our love should hold nothing back, taking first place in our lives. Love our sweetheart? You bet! Love our Lord? Even more!

Happy Valentine’s!