For Dec 21

 

Sermon Notes: Radical Love

I. About Love

A. On this final Sunday of Advent. we lit the last candle of our Advent wreath, the Candle of Love. But it just seems like the Candle of Love should have been the first candle lit, rather than the last one. Of the traits from God we recognize during Advent- hope, peace, and joy-Love seems like it would have been the fundamental trait on which the others were based. God’s Love was the basis for sending Jesus to us, as we know from the very familiar passage of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son”.

B. From God’s perspective, He has loved us from the beginning of creation, and even more personally, since our own birth. In our Epistle lesson from 1John 4:10, John wrote, “Not that we loved God first, but that He loved us”, emphasizing that God's love is the source and initiator of our loving Him. God's proactive, sacrificial love for humanity resulted in His plan for Jesus’ Christmas birth well before mankind was willing, or able to love Him. His love for us sets the foundation for us to love Him, as seen in verse 19: "We love because He first loved us". So, right from the beginning, we see God’s Love as the radical love that gave us His Son as the foundation of our Hope, Peace, and Joy in Christ Jesus.

C. But, perhaps the order of the candle lighting isn’t based on God’s perspective, but from our human perspective. Then lighting the Candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy, reminds us of knowing Jesus as Lord, and what He means to us. They become the foundation of our love for God, preparing us to ultimately receive Jesus as God’s Gift of Love, which we symbolize by lighting the Christ Candle of our Advent wreath on Christmas Eve.

D. Once we receive His gift, we begin a transformation to become a child of God. Then our fundamental question would become, how can we love God?  When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted God’s commandment from Deuteronomy 6, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”  He then added that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. Loving God is a complete love. Loving Him, and all His creation.

E. That may sound simple enough. In fact, the Beatles must have had it all figured out in their song, “All We Need is Love.”  And Jackie DeShannon’s hit song seemed to be telling God that “What we need now is love, sweet Love. Listen, Lord, if you want to know.”  But the human concept of Love is often far different from God’s. Understanding love for a neighbor requires understanding a more basic question of who is our neighbor,

F. To answer that, Jesus told His parable of the Good Samaritan, who despite the centuries long hatred between Jews and Samaritans, stopped to aid a badly wounded Jewish man left to die by his own Jewish religious leaders. Jesus later amplified that by telling His audience in Matthew 25 that whatever we do, even to the least of others, we do to Him. We can’t then say we love God without showing love to a neighbor. But humans tend to see love for God, and love for others, as separate issues.

G. Even John, Jesus’ disciple, displayed that tendency. John is the author of our Gospel and Epistle lessons  this morning which might be seen as God’s textbook on love. John was even in Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, along with his brother James and Peter, but Jesus was displeased with John’s unwillingness to love on several occasions. Jesus referred to John and his brother James as the “sons of thunder” for their loud, constant quarreling. Once, when walking through Samaria, which normal Jews would have avoided at all costs, a Samaritan village refused hospitality to the Jewish Jesus and the disciples. John reacts strongly, asking Jesus for power to call down lightning to destroy the village. Instead, Jesus rebukes him for his lack of love. John later even questions Jesus treating a Samaritan, a Samaritan woman no less, with compassion. John was still struggling to learn that loving Jesus meant loving all people.

H. Our English speaking culture confuses love, because love, although one word, can have different meanings. Greek, the language of the New Testament, uses three different words for the types of love. Agape is the Greek word for love between God and man. It’s used quite often in Psalms to express love for God. Philos is used to express brotherly love between humans. The word eros, from which the English word erotic is derived, is used for sexual love between a man and a woman. Although that word is often brushed aside, as sinful love, eros love was created for mankind, and only becomes sinful when it’s used outside of God’s intentions.

I.  So, when love is used biblically, we need to identify the correct interpretation to understand the meaning of its use. Using David as an example, he often expresses his love for God – agape – in his psalms. And God’s love for David is also agape. When David is brought into King Saul’s court, he develops a deep friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan. Such good friends, that the Bible says David loved Jonathan. Some so-called scholars, misinterpret the word love being used as philos, or brotherly love, instead interpreting that love as false proof that David and Jonathan were homosexual. However, correctly translated, David and Jonathan were like brothers. In fact, they made a covenant that if anything happened to either one of them, the other would care for their surviving children, which David did after Jonathan was killed. And, of course, the word used for David’s love for Bathsheba, although adulterous, was eros.

II. John 21:7-17

 A.The correct translations for the word love are critical to fully understand Biblical passages such as our Gospel passage from John 21. After His Resurrection, Jesus had shown Himself twice to His disciples, but it had been a few days since His last appearance. Growing impatient, maybe even disappointed, they decide to go fishing. But after a night of fishing, they hadn’t caught a single fish.

B. As they approach shore, a stranger calls out, asking if they had any fish. When they relate they hadn’t caught anything, the stranger tells them to drop their nets on the right side of the boat, and when they did, they were unable to haul in their nets filled with fish. It was very reminiscent of their first meeting with Jesus in Galilee. John, referring to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, philos, as in loved as a brother, recognizes Jesus. Peter immediately jumps into the water to reach his beloved friend, ahead of the boat, showing his deep love and devotion for Jesus, despite his previous denials.

C. Having denied knowing Jesus three times on that regrettable night, Peter had since then carried a heavy burden of guilt. The charcoal fire Jesus had prepared may have further reminded Peter of that night, when warming himself by a charcoal fire, he had denied even knowing Jesus.  After breakfast, Jesus asks Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” In calling him Simon, his name before becoming a disciple and Jesus renaming him Peter, the rock, Jesus seems to be taking him back to the beginning of their relationship, challenging Peter to evaluate his priorities and affections. Using the word agape, indicating a selfless, sacrificial love to serve the Son of God He asks, “Simon, “Do you love me as the Son of God?

D. Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love You”. By calling Him Lord, Peter recognizes Jesus’ divine authority, but he uses the philos word for love, instead of agape, which may suggest a humbler acknowledgment of his affection compared to the "agape" love Jesus asked about. Perhaps it was even the guilt of his previous failures. But Jesus responds by telling Peter “Feed my lambs” thereby commissioning Peter to a ministry of caring for vulnerable new believers, which Peter ultimately does.

E. A second time, Jesus asks Peter the same question, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” again using the word, agape. And again Peter responds “Yes, Lord, you know that I love You,” and once again using philos, possibly to indicate his feeling a more personal and emotional connection with Jesus. Jesus responds by telling him “Take care of my sheep.” This time, by using sheep, Jesus seems to signify Peter's reinstatement, and commissioning him as a shepherd, a metaphor for a leader in the early Church. Jesus was entrusting Peter with the care of His followers, indicating a role of guidance, protection, and nurturing. 

F. But Simon is deeply hurt when Jesus asks the third time, “Simon, do you love me?”. Perhaps this third time mirrors Peter’s three denials of Jesus, as well as being a test of Peter's sincerity and commitment. Peter responds “Lord, You know all things. You know I love You.” but again using the word philos for love, suggesting a more personal, brotherly affection, indicating a transitioning in his relationship with Jesus, from the follower of a rabbi to that of a brother.

G. In response, Jesus repeats His directive to Peter, “Feed My Sheep”. Peter now understands his reinstatement as a disciple, but now as also as shepherd of Jesus’ Church. His Lambs, vulnerable new believers, as well as His sheep, the established body of His Church.

H. Jesus had forgiven Peter for his denials, but He was continuing to mold Peter as a leader of His Church. Peter had come from his earlier confessing Jesus as the Son of the Living God, then trying to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem to fulfill His mission. He had attempted to walk on water – and failed. He had resisted Jesus washing His feet until Jesus told Peter he could have no part with Him unless He cleansed Him. He had adamantly said He would never deny Jesus as Jesus said He would, then just as adamantly denied knowing Jesus a few hours later. He had had trouble grasping Jesus’ truths, like the other disciples, but now Peter’s relationship with Jesus had taken a major step forward. Jesus loved Peter, knew his heart, and challenged his love for Him. And Peter responded in love with resulting obedience and sacrificial love, agape love, as well as in relationship with him, in philos love.

III. I John 4:7-16

A. John had also been transformed by Jesus’ agape and philos love, as evidenced in John’s unique Gospel and five epistles, letters to the churches he was shepherding, or pastoring, that emphasized God’s agape love. Formerly a quarrelsome disciple, reprimanded for His failure to love Samaritans, struggling like the others to understand Jesus’s teachings, John gains the reputation as the Disciple of Love, even entrusted with the loving care of Jesus’ own mother. In just our Epistle reading for this morning, which he states so well, John encourages us to love one another, for love comes from God. And whoever has His agape love has been born of God. And since God loves us, we ought to love one another with philos love. God lives in us, and His love is made complete in us. John’s profound summary is that God is love, and whoever lives in love, philos love, for brothers and sisters, and in God’s agape love, lives in God, and God in them.

B. We’ve seen the transforming power of God’s radical agape love that sent His Son to live in philos love with us. And Jesus’ radical philos love that forgave Peter’s denying Him in His greatest hour of needing philos love. Jesus’ radical Love molded the failures of a well intentioned disciple into a shepherd for his Church. Now, as we reflect on the Candle symbolizing God’s radical love, we might then recognize what that love has meant to us. Because of His radical love, expressed in the Christmas birth of His only Son, our Savior, we have hope of forgiveness, hope of reconciliation and relationship with God, hope of Jesus’ return and eternal reign.

C. Because of His radical love we know peace in our souls, His Shalom, through His Holy Spirit. And because of His radical love, we know the Joy of knowing God’s radical love for us.   

D. So now, we’re left with the question of how can we love God?   How do we respond to the question Jesus asked Peter. “Do you love me?  Do you love me more than all the things around us? With all our hearts, soul, and strength?  The only way we can truthfully say Yes, Lord, you know I do, are in the words of John’s Epistle: “Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them.”  Amen