FOUR GREAT SAYINGS OF JESUS I
A Series of Devotional Sermons
First Great Saying . . . “Continue in my love.”
The first great saying derives from the greatest of all commandments as taught by Jesus and “the greatest of all” Christian virtues as taught by the apostle Paul.
Both the greatest commandment and the greatest virtue speak to us of LOVE. Christians are to love God and love others. Of all the virtues that are to characterize Christians – honesty, integrity, kindness, patience, humility and so on - “the greatest of these is love.”
As we begin a new year . . . a new relationship . . . a new endeavor in the name of Jesus, He tells us – yea, commands us – in words conveyed to us by the beloved apostle John: “Continue in my love . . . Yes, love each other as I have loved you.”
Some folks would say that a “command to love” is one of the most difficult sayings of Jesus. After all, there may be folks you simply do not like - but there is a difference between loving and liking.
Thank God, Jesus did not say that we must like everybody - and I for one am glad that He did not command us to do so. I have always thought of myself as being somewhat like Will Rogers – the humorist - who once said that he never met a man he did not like.
I have tried to like everybody I met or worked with in my lifetime; but there have been certain types of folks I simply do not like.
I do not like people who think they are better than anyone else. Nor do I like arrogant people . . . narcissistic people . . . enemies of freedom . . . enemies of the truth . . . enemies of the gospel.
But Jesus did not say that we must like everybody. What He said was, we are to love each other – and we are to do so as He has loved us.
Someone has said that love is a choice. I agree. You can choose love or you can choose the opposite of love, which is hate. Whichever you choose is going to dictate how you feel!
If we want to do what Jesus wants us to do, we will choose love. But am I expected to love everybody? Yes, I am; and so are you. We are expected to love everybody – even our enemies.
Now, wait a minute. Telling me that I am to love my enemies begs the question as to what love is. So, what is love?
In the Bible, there are at least three different kinds of love. There is eros – romantic love . . . phileo – friendship . . . agape. When Jesus said that we are to love everybody, He was saying that we are to “agape” everybody.
Of course, we are not to be romantically involved with each other, except for our own spouse. None of us can carry on a close friendship with everybody; but every one of us is supposed to “agape” everybody.
So, what does “agape” mean? What it means is that you and I are willing to be the person we need to be, and to do whatever we can do, to encourage and at times enable the people in our lives, or within our sphere of influence, to be the persons God wants them to be.
If a person is hungry, we are to do what we can do to make sure a hungry person has food to eat. If a person is homeless, we are to do what we can do to help that person find shelter. If a person is sick, we are to do what we can do to encourage that person to see a doctor.
If any enemy of mine – someone I do not like – is thirsty, I am to give him a cup of water. If there comes to us a plea from a foreign country for young people to come over and witness to the lost, I cannot go, but I can contribute to a fund that will allow my grand-children to go.
If you learn that someone who lives under the same roof you live under has a special need, you can appoint yourself as a committee of one to inquire about the situation and to offer suggestions as to how that need can be met and, if necessary, to take actions to meet that need. Oftentimes your expression of concern is all that is needed. Sometimes, you need to act.
The least any of us can do is to offer a word of encouragement or to pray for someone in need, asking God to meet that person’s need – even the needs of our enemies. We can pray for enemies and ask God to convict them of wrong doing and to forgive them when they repent.
Love is something you do! Your positive response to the needs of people is love in action! Yes, Jesus said that His followers are to love one another as He has loved us.
How has He loved us? He gave up heaven’s glory and came to this earth to do what He had to do in order that we might be restored to a right standing with God our Father. While He was here, He healed the sick . . . comforted the bereaved . . . forgave sinners.
When all had been said and done, He gave His life on our behalf so that we might be saved. Love in action!
You and I may never be called on, as was Jesus, to lay down our lives for the sake of others. Our Lord does, however, ask us to love one another – in word and in deed.
Jesus went so far as to say that folks will know that we are His disciples IF we love one another as He has loved us – with no strings attached. Unconditional love!
Throughout any year of our lives, for the duration of any relationship, our challenge is simply this: Continue in His love.
In its simplest form, I love others because Jesus loves me!
The great Swiss theologian, Dr. Karl Barth, most likely the greatest theologian in the world - and a great philosopher as well - on one occasion, while he was in this country, a student in one of our seminaries asked him this question:
“Dr. Barth, what is the greatest truth that ever crossed your mind?” All the seminary students were sitting on the edge of their seats to hear some great, profound, deep, complicated answer.
Dr. Barth, with head bowed for a moment, slowly raised his shaggy gray head, looked at the student, and said, “Jesus loves me; this I know, for the Bible tells me so”. Amen.
