Love one another - Mark 12:28-34; Luke 6:27-31; John 13:34-35
Love one another - Mark 12:28-34; Luke 6:27-31; John 13:34-35
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 18, 2011 AM
Wasn’t it Tina Turner who sang, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” I am not certain about the full meaning of that lyric, nor does it necessarily pique my interest. One thing is sure, she is not singing about Christian love! Jesus repeatedly admonishes his followers to love God totally, to love each other unconditionally, and to love one another.
Love has everything to do with the Christian life. Unselfish, unashamed and unrestrained love is the essence of kingdom faithfulness. The Apostle John understood this and wrote, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:8-9 NIV) Without love, everything else the believer does is of little significance or value. Today’s message will be a clear reminder of love’s priority in our faith.
READ: Mark 12:28-34; Luke 6:27-31; John 13:34-35
It was nothing new for the Jews of Jesus’ day to hear one of their teachers talk about love. The Old Testament contains many verses that speak of God’s love for us and our duty to love others (Leviticus 19:18, 34; Deuteronomy 6:5; 7:8, 9; Joshua 22:5; 1 Kings 10:9; Psalm 146:8). However, because of the Roman occupation, first-century Judaism was more keenly interested in the concepts of wrath and vengeance. It is against this backdrop of history that Jesus’ teaching on love stood out. God’s kind of love will test our boundaries and will challenge us. Jesus taught that love begins by…
I. Loving God completely! (Mark 12:28-30)
1. If the love of God is not in your life, then your love is based on human frailty!
1) When Jesus sought to teach in the temple, he was constantly interrupted by his enemies. The chief priests, teachers of the law, the elders, the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees all took turns challenging Jesus! This time one of the teachers of the Law came and asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” His question reflected a long-standing debate among Jewish scholars over which were the most important commandments. First-century Judaism had systematized the instructions written by Moses and created a list of approximately 613 commands, 248 of them positive (“do this…”) and 365 negative (“do not do this…”). A lot of passion was applied to the debate over which of the 613 commands was to be given priority. No matter how Jesus answered, they thought He would be trapped. However, Jesus’ answer reflects his knowledge of God. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Jewish tradition referred to verse 4 as the “shema”, (Hebrew for “hear”) because this is the first word in the Hebrew text of, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength!” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV)The shema was held in such high esteem that it was quoted as the invocation at every synagogue service. The reason this passage is so highly valued by the Jews is because it succinctly expresses monotheism (belief in one God). It forms the foundation of Jewish faith. Jesus’ statement is that the commands of God begin with loving God completely!
EXAMPLE: What does wholehearted love look like? A beautiful young maiden had many suitors that came to win her. She would ask each one, “Why do you want to marry me?” One said it was because of her beauty, and she replied, “My beauty will fade with each passing year, what then?” Another said he loved her because of her kindness. She replied, “Today I am kind, but what if tomorrow I am hardened by life’s difficulties?” Finally, one young man responded, “I am willing to commit myself to you with all my heart, if you are willing to commit to me in the same way.” She married him. The teacher of the Law was not interested in the answer; all he wanted to do was entrap Jesus. Yet Jesus does not let the moment go, he reminded his listener that the love of God must come first in the life of a person. It is commitment to love God completely.
Jesus had not been asked to list the second greatest commandment, but he took this opportunity to teach a more complete view of our primary duty to God. This second quotation is taken from Leviticus 19:18 and with it, He teaches us a lesson in…
II. Loving others! (Mark 12:31-34)
1. Loving God and loving our neighbor are God’s highest expectations for mankind!
1) There is no commandment greater than these two! Some may wonder, “Why are these two loves so closely linked together?” The answer is that simply the latter logically flows from the former. One who truly loves God cannot help but love those who carry within them the image of God! A person’s heart attitude is much more important to God than the sacrifices offered on an altar. God told Hosea, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6 NIV) “There is no commandment greater than these!” The teacher replies, “Well said, teacher, you are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(Mark 12:32-33 NIV) It was an insightful summary of the message of the Old Testament. This is why we are reminded, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves.” (Hebrews 10:1 NIV) However, Jesus knew if one loved God completely, he would love others as well! If “God so loved the world” then those who love him must love others. Here was a man not yet in full stride with God’s loving plan! Close, but no cookie. Many in our world today are just like that man, they want God to love them, but find it hard to love others. A person cannot say they love God and not love those for whom he died! Loving God and loving our neighbor are God’s highest expectations for mankind!
EXAMPLE: Recently, I watched as people stacked boxes and put together care packages for the flooding back East. One lady stated that she did it because loving people is what Jesus came to earth for. Her knowledge of Jesus’ mission is close, but still misses the mark. Many believe that what Christianity is all about is simply loving people and being kind to them. This reflects not only an ignorance of Scripture, but is repulsive to what Jesus did for us. If loving others was enough to get one into the kingdom of God, why did Jesus die on the cross? Love of others can only happen when the Lord of love enters into your heart and changes your sin nature to love others. We do not love others so God will love us. However, if we love God, we will love others.
Why would you think the commands to love God and to love others stand above the other commands of God? It reflects God’s true nature to the world through His son Jesus Christ. Loving your neighbor begins when you share Christ with them as you minister to their needs. One without the other is an incomplete gospel and offers no eternal hope. However, Jesus took this love of God one extra step when He taught us about…
III. Loving Our Enemies! (Luke 6:27-31)
1. We have not been commanded to feel love, but to act in a loving manner!
1) How is it possible to love those who would hurt us? The answer is Jesus. He related, “"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you!” (Luke 6:27 NIV) The love described here is the Greek word “agape” and it involves a decision of the will, not a feeling of the heart. It is a conscious decision to treat others in a kind and considerate way, regardless of how we actually feel about them. Our natural tendency (and the accepted practice of modern society) is to say, “If you hit me, I will hit you back”, but agape love says, “I will not stoop to your level; I will not hit back. Instead I will love you!” Agape love chooses not to retaliate. Jesus could have called upon twelve legions of angels to destroy his enemies (Matthew 26:53); instead, he allowed them to arrest him and literally strike his cheek without reprisal (John 18:22)! Here is a legitimate question to consider, “Does Jesus desire that we be doormats for people to step on and trample?” The answer is, “No.” What he desires is that we exalt him first and foremost. Perhaps the real question to consider: “Will the cause of Christ suffer loss in order for me to gain, or will my loss serve to advance the cause of Christ?” Jesus desires that we love our enemies because he did.
EXAMPLE: Sometimes the most agape thing we can do is to let people know that we could seek retaliation for their unkindness, but for the sake of Christ, we choose not to do so. If we allow ourselves to hate someone, we do him great harm; however, we do ourselves more harm. Harry Emerson Fosdick said, “Hating people is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat.” During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln once referred publicly to the people of the Confederacy as erring human beings, not as foes to be exterminated. An older woman criticized him for speaking kindly of his enemies, when, according to her, he ought to be thinking of destroying them. Lincoln replied, “Why, Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” If we love God, we will love our enemies.
We cannot escape what Jesus told us, that we should “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Not what we would expect, but what we would want them to do for us! Jesus left us a wonderful example to follow. He has given us a trademark to go by and use! Jesus taught us to love by…
IV. Loving fellow Christians! (John 13:34-35)
1. Sometimes, the toughest people to love are our spiritual siblings!
1) Agape love requires that we treat others with kindness and consideration. It does not allow us to act with rudeness or meanness or spite. In this passage, we learn that love demands even more than this: we must love one another the way Jesus has loved us! That kind of love is a self-sacrificing love! He tells us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This kind of love is to be a Christian’s identity! Jesus said, “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another!” When a Christian friend betrays your confidence or hurts your feelings, the true test of Christian character will be whether you seek revenge, sulk, get mad or choose to overlook how he or she has wronged you. When members of the church disagree with each other over a decision, the test of Christian character will be whether they alienate themselves from one another or choose to continue to regard one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Agape love is the distinguishing mark of a heart that has truly been changed by the love of Christ. Those outside of the boundaries of the church will know we are disciples of Jesus Christ when we love one another in spite of one another! We are commanded to love fellow Christians!
EXAMPLE: Robert C. Shannon writes that “Even people who know very little about the Bible can quote the Golden Rule in some form: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ This rule stands in contrast to two other rules. One we may call the Iron Rule. It is stated as follows: ‘Whatever others do to you, do you also to them.’ This is the rule of retribution. Many live by this rule, but Jesus taught us that we should never try to get even. The second rule we may call the Silver Rule. It is a great improvement over the Iron Rule; for it says, ‘What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.’ This was the rule of Confucius. It is a good rule, but it is entirely negative. It demands only that we refrain from doing wrong, but it requires nothing in terms of positive action. The Golden Rule, however, stands far above both of these. It is positive. It requires far more of us than the Silver Rule, for it goes beyond not doing evil to doing good. It demands that we go beyond the minimum. We cannot say, ‘I am as good as my fellow Christians.’ We have to be better than that! We have to be like Christ! We have to love one another as He loved us!”
Conclusion:
Philosophy, explanations, or excuses for wrong behavior can meander aimlessly. Usually, when all is said and done, what we need is a succinct summary. As we sometimes say, “Here it is in a nutshell.” The Bible is filled with hundreds of commandments and guidelines, which can seem overwhelming. However, the key commandments can be put “in a nutshell.” Jesus did just that when he taught us to love God and to love one’s neighbor. The world needs to see our Christianity demonstrated, not by lengthy and detailed explanations of our beliefs, but rather “in a nutshell,” by our love and devotion to Jesus Christ, our enemies, and one another as we minister to the world around us.
----
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2011 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 18, 2011 AM
Wasn’t it Tina Turner who sang, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” I am not certain about the full meaning of that lyric, nor does it necessarily pique my interest. One thing is sure, she is not singing about Christian love! Jesus repeatedly admonishes his followers to love God totally, to love each other unconditionally, and to love one another.
Love has everything to do with the Christian life. Unselfish, unashamed and unrestrained love is the essence of kingdom faithfulness. The Apostle John understood this and wrote, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:8-9 NIV) Without love, everything else the believer does is of little significance or value. Today’s message will be a clear reminder of love’s priority in our faith.
READ: Mark 12:28-34; Luke 6:27-31; John 13:34-35
It was nothing new for the Jews of Jesus’ day to hear one of their teachers talk about love. The Old Testament contains many verses that speak of God’s love for us and our duty to love others (Leviticus 19:18, 34; Deuteronomy 6:5; 7:8, 9; Joshua 22:5; 1 Kings 10:9; Psalm 146:8). However, because of the Roman occupation, first-century Judaism was more keenly interested in the concepts of wrath and vengeance. It is against this backdrop of history that Jesus’ teaching on love stood out. God’s kind of love will test our boundaries and will challenge us. Jesus taught that love begins by…
I. Loving God completely! (Mark 12:28-30)
1. If the love of God is not in your life, then your love is based on human frailty!
1) When Jesus sought to teach in the temple, he was constantly interrupted by his enemies. The chief priests, teachers of the law, the elders, the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees all took turns challenging Jesus! This time one of the teachers of the Law came and asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” His question reflected a long-standing debate among Jewish scholars over which were the most important commandments. First-century Judaism had systematized the instructions written by Moses and created a list of approximately 613 commands, 248 of them positive (“do this…”) and 365 negative (“do not do this…”). A lot of passion was applied to the debate over which of the 613 commands was to be given priority. No matter how Jesus answered, they thought He would be trapped. However, Jesus’ answer reflects his knowledge of God. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Jewish tradition referred to verse 4 as the “shema”, (Hebrew for “hear”) because this is the first word in the Hebrew text of, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength!” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV)The shema was held in such high esteem that it was quoted as the invocation at every synagogue service. The reason this passage is so highly valued by the Jews is because it succinctly expresses monotheism (belief in one God). It forms the foundation of Jewish faith. Jesus’ statement is that the commands of God begin with loving God completely!
EXAMPLE: What does wholehearted love look like? A beautiful young maiden had many suitors that came to win her. She would ask each one, “Why do you want to marry me?” One said it was because of her beauty, and she replied, “My beauty will fade with each passing year, what then?” Another said he loved her because of her kindness. She replied, “Today I am kind, but what if tomorrow I am hardened by life’s difficulties?” Finally, one young man responded, “I am willing to commit myself to you with all my heart, if you are willing to commit to me in the same way.” She married him. The teacher of the Law was not interested in the answer; all he wanted to do was entrap Jesus. Yet Jesus does not let the moment go, he reminded his listener that the love of God must come first in the life of a person. It is commitment to love God completely.
Jesus had not been asked to list the second greatest commandment, but he took this opportunity to teach a more complete view of our primary duty to God. This second quotation is taken from Leviticus 19:18 and with it, He teaches us a lesson in…
II. Loving others! (Mark 12:31-34)
1. Loving God and loving our neighbor are God’s highest expectations for mankind!
1) There is no commandment greater than these two! Some may wonder, “Why are these two loves so closely linked together?” The answer is that simply the latter logically flows from the former. One who truly loves God cannot help but love those who carry within them the image of God! A person’s heart attitude is much more important to God than the sacrifices offered on an altar. God told Hosea, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6 NIV) “There is no commandment greater than these!” The teacher replies, “Well said, teacher, you are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(Mark 12:32-33 NIV) It was an insightful summary of the message of the Old Testament. This is why we are reminded, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves.” (Hebrews 10:1 NIV) However, Jesus knew if one loved God completely, he would love others as well! If “God so loved the world” then those who love him must love others. Here was a man not yet in full stride with God’s loving plan! Close, but no cookie. Many in our world today are just like that man, they want God to love them, but find it hard to love others. A person cannot say they love God and not love those for whom he died! Loving God and loving our neighbor are God’s highest expectations for mankind!
EXAMPLE: Recently, I watched as people stacked boxes and put together care packages for the flooding back East. One lady stated that she did it because loving people is what Jesus came to earth for. Her knowledge of Jesus’ mission is close, but still misses the mark. Many believe that what Christianity is all about is simply loving people and being kind to them. This reflects not only an ignorance of Scripture, but is repulsive to what Jesus did for us. If loving others was enough to get one into the kingdom of God, why did Jesus die on the cross? Love of others can only happen when the Lord of love enters into your heart and changes your sin nature to love others. We do not love others so God will love us. However, if we love God, we will love others.
Why would you think the commands to love God and to love others stand above the other commands of God? It reflects God’s true nature to the world through His son Jesus Christ. Loving your neighbor begins when you share Christ with them as you minister to their needs. One without the other is an incomplete gospel and offers no eternal hope. However, Jesus took this love of God one extra step when He taught us about…
III. Loving Our Enemies! (Luke 6:27-31)
1. We have not been commanded to feel love, but to act in a loving manner!
1) How is it possible to love those who would hurt us? The answer is Jesus. He related, “"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you!” (Luke 6:27 NIV) The love described here is the Greek word “agape” and it involves a decision of the will, not a feeling of the heart. It is a conscious decision to treat others in a kind and considerate way, regardless of how we actually feel about them. Our natural tendency (and the accepted practice of modern society) is to say, “If you hit me, I will hit you back”, but agape love says, “I will not stoop to your level; I will not hit back. Instead I will love you!” Agape love chooses not to retaliate. Jesus could have called upon twelve legions of angels to destroy his enemies (Matthew 26:53); instead, he allowed them to arrest him and literally strike his cheek without reprisal (John 18:22)! Here is a legitimate question to consider, “Does Jesus desire that we be doormats for people to step on and trample?” The answer is, “No.” What he desires is that we exalt him first and foremost. Perhaps the real question to consider: “Will the cause of Christ suffer loss in order for me to gain, or will my loss serve to advance the cause of Christ?” Jesus desires that we love our enemies because he did.
EXAMPLE: Sometimes the most agape thing we can do is to let people know that we could seek retaliation for their unkindness, but for the sake of Christ, we choose not to do so. If we allow ourselves to hate someone, we do him great harm; however, we do ourselves more harm. Harry Emerson Fosdick said, “Hating people is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat.” During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln once referred publicly to the people of the Confederacy as erring human beings, not as foes to be exterminated. An older woman criticized him for speaking kindly of his enemies, when, according to her, he ought to be thinking of destroying them. Lincoln replied, “Why, Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” If we love God, we will love our enemies.
We cannot escape what Jesus told us, that we should “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Not what we would expect, but what we would want them to do for us! Jesus left us a wonderful example to follow. He has given us a trademark to go by and use! Jesus taught us to love by…
IV. Loving fellow Christians! (John 13:34-35)
1. Sometimes, the toughest people to love are our spiritual siblings!
1) Agape love requires that we treat others with kindness and consideration. It does not allow us to act with rudeness or meanness or spite. In this passage, we learn that love demands even more than this: we must love one another the way Jesus has loved us! That kind of love is a self-sacrificing love! He tells us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This kind of love is to be a Christian’s identity! Jesus said, “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another!” When a Christian friend betrays your confidence or hurts your feelings, the true test of Christian character will be whether you seek revenge, sulk, get mad or choose to overlook how he or she has wronged you. When members of the church disagree with each other over a decision, the test of Christian character will be whether they alienate themselves from one another or choose to continue to regard one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Agape love is the distinguishing mark of a heart that has truly been changed by the love of Christ. Those outside of the boundaries of the church will know we are disciples of Jesus Christ when we love one another in spite of one another! We are commanded to love fellow Christians!
EXAMPLE: Robert C. Shannon writes that “Even people who know very little about the Bible can quote the Golden Rule in some form: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ This rule stands in contrast to two other rules. One we may call the Iron Rule. It is stated as follows: ‘Whatever others do to you, do you also to them.’ This is the rule of retribution. Many live by this rule, but Jesus taught us that we should never try to get even. The second rule we may call the Silver Rule. It is a great improvement over the Iron Rule; for it says, ‘What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.’ This was the rule of Confucius. It is a good rule, but it is entirely negative. It demands only that we refrain from doing wrong, but it requires nothing in terms of positive action. The Golden Rule, however, stands far above both of these. It is positive. It requires far more of us than the Silver Rule, for it goes beyond not doing evil to doing good. It demands that we go beyond the minimum. We cannot say, ‘I am as good as my fellow Christians.’ We have to be better than that! We have to be like Christ! We have to love one another as He loved us!”
Conclusion:
Philosophy, explanations, or excuses for wrong behavior can meander aimlessly. Usually, when all is said and done, what we need is a succinct summary. As we sometimes say, “Here it is in a nutshell.” The Bible is filled with hundreds of commandments and guidelines, which can seem overwhelming. However, the key commandments can be put “in a nutshell.” Jesus did just that when he taught us to love God and to love one’s neighbor. The world needs to see our Christianity demonstrated, not by lengthy and detailed explanations of our beliefs, but rather “in a nutshell,” by our love and devotion to Jesus Christ, our enemies, and one another as we minister to the world around us.
----
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2011 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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