Jesus affirms that love toward God is not only one of the commandments, but the foundation and measure of them all. It is “first” because loving God is the beginning of a person’s duties, and it is “great” because all the other commandments depend on it. Without loving God, no law or moral obligation can have true value; outward obedience becomes mere form if there is no love for the Creator in the heart. Thus, Jesus shows that the foundation of faith is not the keeping of rules, but the heart’s movement toward God. The person who loves God with all the heart, soul, and mind will naturally also fulfill the other commandments, because love becomes the driving force of the law.