Recalibrating Love

Recalibrating Love

INTRODUCTION

ILL-- Joseph is beat by brothers and thrown in a big hole, sold into slavery, ends up in prison before becoming the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt, the world power.

Brothers show up to buy grain because they have nothing to eat.

The struggle to love or give them what they deserve.

Choosing to love is not always easy.

Jesus choosing the cross. Love or justice.

Does he leave us to get what we deserve?

Jesus was on his way to the cross.

He rode on a donkey with everyone singing his praises - on the way to the cross.

He took them to the Upper Room - Knowing he was heading to the cross.

Matthew 5:43–47 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

2 Types of Love

1. Conditional Love (43)

Matthew 5:43 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Only have to love a fellow Jew.

Samaritan Woman - John 4

2. Unconditional Love (44)

Matthew 5:44 ESV

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

This is the reason that Jews hated the Romans and tax collectors.

3 Reasons We Love Unconditionally

A. Because our Father Loves (45)

Matthew 5:45 ESV

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

We want to be like Him.

ILL-- a son mimicking his father. (David picture)

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Our heavenly Father does not choose who he loves.

B. Because we are Different (46)

Matthew 5:46 ESV

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

The level of our love must be greater than an unbeliever.

1 John 4:7–12 ESV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

3. We must love because it is only way many will ever see God.

C. Because We are Changed (47)

Matthew 5:47

Matthew 5:47 ESV

47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

When we accept the gift of love, we are changed to love. We love like Jesus.

Jesus changed the definition of neighbor.

Jews knew the idea of love.

They just limited it with a narrow definition of neighbor.

Who is my neighbor?

This is Jesus' response to a generation who only showed conditional love.

Luke 10:25–37 ESV

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

being prejudice has no place within the Christian community.

Whether race, addiction, social class, political affiliation.

Whether we chose to love has nothing to do with sin in a person's life.

God loved us despite our sin.

God showed mercy. We must show mercy. God gave grace. We must respond with grace.

1 John 2:2 ESV

2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

2 Corinthians 5:15–19 ESV

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

CONCLUSION

We are reminded this week (Holy Week) that Jesus died for more people than the Jews had dreamed.

He died on that cross for us.

His love has changed us. It has changed us to love.

Are you loving everyone the way Christ loves you?

Have you accepted the greatest love gift, Jesus Christ?