Advent Week 4 - What's Love Got To Do With It?

By Jesus’ time, the Jews had accumulated hundreds of laws—613 by one historian’s count. Some religious leaders tried to distinguish between major and minor laws, and some taught that all laws were equally binding and that it was dangerous to make any distinctions. As we read this text keep in mind that this teacher’s question could have provoked controversy among these groups, but Jesus’ answer summarized all of God’s laws.

Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28–34 NIV - Anglicised

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no-one dared ask him any more questions.

Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV - Anglicised

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Leviticus 19:18 NIV - Anglicised

18 “ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.

God’s laws are not intended to be burdensome. They can be reduced to two simple principles:

Love God and, Love others.

These commands are from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament laws. According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws.

Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions.

When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.

He Would Love First, What Would Jesus Do?

These two Jewish commands that were quoted by Jesus were intentionally joined together.

The Greek word agape (love) seems to have been virtually a Christian invention -- a new word for a new thing (apart from about twenty occurrences in the Greek version of the Old Testament, it is almost non-existent before the New Testament). Agape draws its meaning directly from the revelation of God in Christ. It is not a form of natural affection, however, intense, but a supernatural fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is a matter of will rather than feeling (for Christians must love even those they dislike -- Matt. 5:44-48). It is the basic element in Christ-likeness.

Your love for God will be expressed by your love for people and your love for people will be expressed by your love for God.

LET US LOVE THEM

Tony Campolo tells about some homeless teenagers from the Philadelphia streets who beat to death a Korean honor student doing graduate work in medicine at the U of PA. His parents came to the U.S. for the trial, and sat silently through his murderers’ entire trial.

At the end, they asked for an opportunity to speak. The guilty verdict came in, and they rose and knelt before the judge. "Before a stunned audience these parents begged ... him to release their son’s murderers to them so that they could give the boys the home and care they had never had. They were Christians, they explained to the judge, and they wanted to show something of the grace they had received from God to those who had done them such grievous evil."

Love is an action that is not focused on feelings

Ay old D.C. Talk fans? They sang a song “Love is a Verb”

Our Response Is A Call To Love Through Action

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, "Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

Romans 5:8 NIV - Anglicised

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:9 NIV - Anglicised

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:11 NIV - Anglicised

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me."

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that your're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?"

"Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds.

J. Allan Petersen.

To love at all is to be venerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin or your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable...The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers...of love is Hell.

C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1960, p.169.

God's Expressed Love Toward Us

Luke 15:11-32

Luke 15:11–32 NIV - Anglicised

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no-one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

There is so much contrast in this parable of Jesus

The son who was lost

The son who was bitter

The father who loved them both

For us to understand point 2 and 3 today we have to understand the father in this story.

We have to understand that his love is for us even if we are son 1 or son 2

During this advent season of waiting, God waits too, for us. God waits patiently as we wonder, rebel, go our own ways, and in various forms get lost. As a loving heavenly parent, God waits patiently for us to come to our senses, waits patiently "for the eyes of our heart to be enlightened." God is there, scanning the horizon for the first glimpse of you and me. Finding first sight of us, God runs wildly to welcome the returning home. - Br. Luke Ditewig, Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Application

I think many of us are familiar with the “love” chapter of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

1 Corinthians 13:1–8 NIV - Anglicised

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

When I look at this and think about it in my life I discover my selfish response of love toward others.

I see that love is inconvenient

Love has to change me in often painful, awkward, and uncomfortable ways

Love disrupts my life.

All of these things because love requires action.

This action of love like Christ comes from an encounter where Christ initiates the changes in our heart

Changes result externally in our lives,

Internally in our heart and motivation of our actions

And more importantly, eternally

We have to understand God's concept of love to be able to respond to others in love. God's expressed love toward us allows to begin this process. God's expressed love toward us allows us to understand his concept of love, when then compels us to love.

Conclusion and exhortation

This advent season of waiting and preparing is not just for us today, but God is preparing and waiting too! Charge to the congregationClosing prayerBenediction

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