God's Flower Garden Sermon Iii: The Red Rose - Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Series

Folks, do you read into this admonition from the beloved apostle John what I read into it?

Here’s what these words of wisdom say to me: Love is the answer. Love is the answer to any problems I may have in terms of my relationship to God or my relationship to others.

If my wife and I have a problem, love is the answer.

If you or I have a problem with a friend, love is the answer.

If you or I have a problem with God, love is the answer.

What it all means is that if we desire to restore a broken relationship, we are going to have to take the initiative to do so. Love is something you do! We must put actions to our words.

It’s one thing to SAY that we love someone; it’s quite another thing to show it by words and deeds of kindness.

God SHOWED His love to us. His Son Jesus Christ willingly showed His love for you and me. Likewise, we ought to show our love for others.

Another thing I think of when I compare divine love to a red rose is the fact that every rose bush has thorns attached to it. But have you ever known anyone who wanted you to give them the thorns instead of the roses?

No! What we do is we present the rose in its beauty - on a stem that has been clipped of its thorns. We cut off that which could be harmful – those thorns that might hurt someone.

True love gets rid of the thorns in our relationships because none of us should want to be a “thorn in the side” of anyone.

Love without the thorns is divine love; and THAT is the kind of love we want in our relationship with family and friends, is it not?

Remember, “God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son” – and God’s Son wore the crown of thorns for us as He bore the Cross for our sins. Oh, what love!

One of the great Methodist preachers of all time, Charles Wesley, captured the beauty of divine love in one of the church’s great hymns:

“Love divine, all loves excelling,

Joy of heaven, to earth came down;

Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,

All Thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesus, Thou art all compassion,

Pure, unbounded love Thou art;

Visit us with Thy salvation,

Enter every trembling heart.”

“Finish then Thy new creation,

Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see Thy great salvation,

Perfectly restored in Thee;

Changed from glory unto glory,

Till in heaven we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before Thee,

Lost in wonder, love and praise!

When you see a red rose, be reminded of the divine love which God has shown to us, AND the divine love God expects us to show to each other. Amen.