Looking for Love - October 2, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

It is said that during a service at an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, when the Shema prayer was repeated, half the congregation stood up and half remained sitting.  The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up.  Despite all his training and education, the rabbi didn't know what to do.  His congregation suggested that he consult a housebound 98-year-old man, who was one of the original founders of their synagogue.  The rabbi hoped the elderly man would be able to tell him what the actual tradition was, so he went to his home with a representative of each faction of the congregation.  The delegate who stood during the Shema asked the old man, "Is it our tradition to stand during this prayer?"  The old man answered, "No, that is not our tradition."  The delegate who sat asked, "Is it our tradition to sit during Shema?"  The old man answered, "No, that is not our tradition”.  In frustration, the rabbi said to the old man, "The congregation fights all the time, yelling at each other about whether they should sit or stand ...” The old man interrupted and said, “Now THAT is our tradition!"   

     This joke would be funnier if it wasn’t so true.  Fighting among ourselves seems to be so prevalent today.  Even our politicians demonstrate a tenacity to fight rather than get along.  Neighbors keep records of the times they have been wronged.  Brothers and sisters never forgive an offence, remaining separated for the rest of their lives.  It seems that “We, the People” are better known as “we, the divided”.  We have become people constantly searching for a new enemy.

Humanity’s persistence to hate is nothing new.  It’s been happening for a long, long, time.  The people of this world have a long history of loathing those who are different.  We live in a world where one group of people is easily disgusted with another.  It’s simply the “way of the world” … which is why Jesus insists that the Church should be different.

One of the last commands Jesus gives His Apostles is the command to Love. John writes, ³¹ As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. ³² And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. ³³ Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. ³⁴ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:31-35).

The Lord’s instruction to love is probably the most significant of His commands.  He says that our love will prove to the world that we are His disciples.  How is that possible?  How is my love for you and your love for me the most noteworthy identifier of our faith?  Well, first of all, I guess it would depend on our understanding of love. 

In this passage from John 13, Jesus tells us to love, and in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us what that love should look like.  Beginning in verse 4 of that chapter, Paul says, ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  Paul’s instruction here is not merely something to be quoted at a marriage ceremony.  This lesson on love applies to every Christian and to every person he or she happens to meet.  So don’t blow this love thing off by telling me you already love your spouse, because this lesson goes way beyond that.  Jesus actually said that it applies to our enemies (But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! - Matthew 5:44).   

Picture a world where this kind of love is practiced.  Picture a city where its residents were patient and kind toward one another.  Imagine a village where there was no jealousy or irritability.  Could you imagine what a church would be like where no one demanded his or her own way?  Selfishness, pride, and arrogance are attitudes of this world (For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic - James 3:15).  These attitudes cause disorder; they promote disunity.  Paul says that if “we are still controlled by our sinful nature, we are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. He asks, Doesn’t that prove we are controlled by our sinful nature? Aren’t we living like people of the world” (1 Corinthians 3:3-4)?  Love, on the other hand, is like a cup of cold water on a hot summer day.  It refreshes.  It cools.  It’s like fresh bread to a hungry soul.  And we, the Church, have an opportunity to feed this world the sweet taste of love instead of the bitter taste of hate and anger … provided, of course, that the Church knows how to love in the first place.

Truthfully, developing this kind of love takes time.  It is not a natural response toward those who wrong us or hurt us.  It is not natural to demonstrate love toward someone who lies to us or about us.  Oh, I know, we can be kind to our friends or love those who love us, but in doing so, how are we different from anyone else?  Even unbelievers do that (compare Matthew 5:46-47).  Jesus says our love for others should reflect the kind of Love He has shown to us.  That’s the kind of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.

To learn to love as the Lord has commanded, begin by confessing you have no idea what Love really is.  You must toss out the old ideas you’ve been fed about feelings and needs and flowers, and instead allow God to teach you about sacrifice, patience, humility, and forgiveness.  This is a love that is born from above, not birthed within ourselves.  It is the kind of love that follows the Spirit, and not the heart (But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh - Galatians 5:16).  To learn to love as the Lord has commanded you must first have a heart willing to be guided by God (Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires – Romans 6:12).  You must stop and ask yourself how the Lord would have you respond rather than letting your emotions control your actions.

In a world that has forgotten what love truly looks like or does not even know what it feels like, the Church has a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate God’s love through our love for one another and our love for the world.  By our love, the world will recognize that Christians are different from the world.  Although a person of the world holds a grudge, is easily offended, and is selfish and rude, the Christian demonstrates the supernatural love of God.  Your classmates and coworkers will recognize that you are different from the people of this world because of your love.

No other religion or any other god calls its followers to demonstrate this kind of supernatural love because no other religion or god can produce this kind of love in the hearts of its followers.  Christians may feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the orphan and the widow, but the greatest gift we can give this world is the sweet taste of what it means to be loved by God.  They learn this when they see this love within us and feel this love from us.