First Thoughts for April 29th
Texts: 1 John 3:11-24; John 10:11-18
Series: Living and Loving As Easter People
Part 2: Loving To The End
Jesus knew that the hour had come
for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end.
for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end.
John 13:1 / NIV
This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives
for our brothers and sisters.
If anyone has material possessions
and sees a brother or sister in need
but has no pity on them,
how can the love of God be in that person?
Dear children,
let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives
for our brothers and sisters.
If anyone has material possessions
and sees a brother or sister in need
but has no pity on them,
how can the love of God be in that person?
Dear children,
let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:16-18 / NIV
The more I come to understand the depth of God's love demonstrated through Jesus, the more I wonder if I could ever love others with the same degree of passion. Jesus' loved others "to the end." His love drove him to the cross. Jesus abandoned all concern for his own personal safety and comfort to suffer and die on the cross.
This text in 1 John together with the John 13:1 paints a crystal clear picture of what it means to truly love. The love Jesus gave was not manipulative or controlling. He offered up his life as a gift of grace, unmerited favor. Troubling questions torment my soul as I consider the enormity of what Jesus did.
Am I really a loving person? Do I love unconditionally? I love those who love me but am I able to love my enemies as Jesus commanded? Even among friends, do I love them without hope of personal reward? Am I willing to risk my own personal safety to reach out in love to another in need?
A number of years ago I was involved in a ministry to homeless persons in Washington, DC. We would go into DC from Northern Virginia on Friday nights to distribute peanut butter sandwiches, blankets, sleeping bags, gloves, socks among other things to the homeless folks we found everywhere. At first I had no anxiety at all about being on those streets late at night. A couple of events changed my carefree attitude. I was trying to communicate with a man who was acting rather strangely in one of the subways. Suddenly, he struck out at me making rather angry sounds like a wild animal. I was shaken. The next week, one of the volunteers I was working with that night stopped to take a couple of pictures. Suddenly, a very angry man appeared out of the darkness brandishing a handgun. He ordered my friend to give him his camera. My friend resisted but quickly gave in when this very dangerous looking man pointed his gun at his chest at near point blank range. Not wanting to die, my friend quickly surrendered his camera. The man with the gun opened the back of the camera, pulled out the film and gave the camera back. Next, he issued a warning to be careful where he was pointing his camera in the city.
The encounter was over in a matter of seconds but it left a lasting impression. We could have been killed. I realized that I could get hurt trying to demonstrate God's love to these folks in need. For a few seconds I questioned my commitment to this mission. Until that moment, I had not considered the dangers that haunted the streets of that city at night. I didn't understand street life at all.
I continued to go into DC but I had a better understanding of the risks. I was more mindful of that street environment. This experience, of course, is really nothing compared with the risks some of our missionaries take to reach out to folks around the world in need. Many missionaries face more dangers in a day that I will encounter in a lifetime here in the US. True love as Jesus defined it with his own life, means pushing beyond immediate personal gratification to love "to the end."
The encounter was over in a matter of seconds but it left a lasting impression. We could have been killed. I realized that I could get hurt trying to demonstrate God's love to these folks in need. For a few seconds I questioned my commitment to this mission. Until that moment, I had not considered the dangers that haunted the streets of that city at night. I didn't understand street life at all.
I continued to go into DC but I had a better understanding of the risks. I was more mindful of that street environment. This experience, of course, is really nothing compared with the risks some of our missionaries take to reach out to folks around the world in need. Many missionaries face more dangers in a day that I will encounter in a lifetime here in the US. True love as Jesus defined it with his own life, means pushing beyond immediate personal gratification to love "to the end."
The writer of 1 John declares than "anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love his brother or sister." I want to be one of God's children. All I need to do is to love others "to the end." In all honesty, I don't know if I am really quite there yet. I pray God will grant me the courage and strength I need to truly love others "to the end."
Questions
What practices would define "loving to the end" for our church in this community?
Is our love unconditional?
Would I continue to love others who expressed no appreciation for our acts of compassion?
Are we willing to encounter the evil powers of this world that hold use others and manipulated social systems to exploit others for their own personal gain?
What I am willing to die for?
Do I bear in my own soul Jesus' passion for the lost?
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