About 2,000 years ago, some very intelligent men well versed in religious law asked a new teacher that same trick question. That teacher's response went something like this:
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' And 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' - Matthew 22:35-40 (paraphrase)Turns out that the teacher was no ordinary man, but the Messiah. The love He spoke of was not ordinary either. Strong's Concordance describes love as:
A word to which Christianity gave new meaning. Outside of the NT, it rarely occurs in existing Greek manuscripts of the period. Agape denotes an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest of the other , no matter what he does. It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object.What does undefeatable benevolence, unconquerable goodwill, and self-giving look like? Jesus tells us in Matthew 5
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.Jesus tells we should have perfect love. How? When we love it should a love from God; love with capital "L". Our love is imperfect, for as humans we are inclined to love only those who are good to us. But with Love from God we are empowered to Love those who we hate and who hate us. There are no exceptions or exemptions to this Love.
The best display of that Love was Christ (you probably saw that coming). He was not recognized by His own disciples as the Love of the world.
"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." -John 1:10Not only that, he was hated, abhorred, anathematized, execrated, abused, despised, beaten, spat upon, kicked, bruised, vilified, reviled, loathed, betrayed, detested, cursed, mocked, convicted, and crucified. And yet.......... and yet what did He do? If you are mocked what do you say? If you are cursed at, what do you respond with? If you are vilified, what do you do? If you are despised, what do you think?
He was mocked, He said nothing. He was cursed, He stood there. He was vilified, He had mercy. He was despised and he forgave. What is this, but the most outrageous Love of which you have ever heard? THAT Love is given to us, so that we may in turn Love those around us. No matter what. Even when we're hated, and even when were are tempted to hate back. If someone wants to destroy your world, your country, your family, your life, you can respond with that same Love.
But, do we? Do I still hold grudges? Do I still protest when I'm offended? Do I feel entitled to fairness? Do I ever consider revenge? Do I? Do you?
Let us not fail to love with a capital "L."
I needed to hear that. Thanks Matt.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is it not ironic that when we are mocked and treated poorly, we can get closer to having that sort of Love than we probably could without being beaten down. We hate being humbled in that way, yet we need that opposition in order to develop that Love. As Solzhenitsyn says regarding his experience in labor camps, "Formerly, you never forgave anyone. You judged people without mercy. And you praised people with equal lack of moderation of your uncategorical judgments. You have come to realize your own weakness - and you can therefore understand the weakness of others...Your soul, which formerly was dry, now ripens from suffering." And yet the One with no weakness knows perfectly our own. Oh the irony that the one who could Love perfectly was the one beaten the most so that we wouldn't have to be.
ReplyDeleteFantastic comment Jessica! Point well made.
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