The answer is: To love God with all your heart, soul and mind

Matthew 22:37-38 - Jesus emphasizes love as the essence of God’s commandments, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. This teaching mirrors the heart of biblical faith—a relationship steeped in devotion. Interestingly, the New Testament echoes this sentiment in 1 John 4:19, stating “We love because he first loved us.”

Jesus turns the spotlight on love, insisting it supersedes every rule in the law. When he cites Deuteronomy 6:5, he’s actually pulling from a foundational scripture known as the Shema, a declaration of faith that Jewish people have recited for centuries. This commandment isn’t caught up just in duty or adherence to rules; it’s a dynamic relationship, where love opens a genuine connection with the divine. It’s packaged so neatly that it invites prayer, joy, and strength into daily life.

Now, let’s dig deeper. In Mattheus’s Gospel, when Jesus speaks of love, it’s not merely about feelings. The call to love "God with all your heart, soul, and mind" involves a total investment— everything you are and everything you think.

Here’s where it gets fascinating: this Divine Love isn’t just a bridge to transcendental beliefs but has human roots that are intricately linked to how we interact with each other. Jesus fleshed out this idea, as further verses outline loving one's neighbor — forming a circular movement of love that encompasses the whole community (Matthew 22:39).

As a bonus fact: the move toward love is also echoed in ancient wisdom troves like Aristotle’s ethics, where he waxes lyrical about virtue being rooted in genuine friendship, particularly the love of the good. Looking at love this way presents non-believers' inquiry and believers' assertions into a harmony more mutual than competitive. Through every commandment, the heartbeat remains receptive and overflowing with love.