I'm sure you've all been to a wedding at least once in your lifetime. You would have probably heard a bible reading during the ceremony and its very often 1 Corinthians 13 - the passage about true love. And while you see these two beautiful people stand there with stars in their eyes for each other - it all fits the bill and makes sense. Love... ain't love grand hey :) But love isn't just picnics and sunrises. Love isn't just cute puppies and sentimental words. Love is a weapon. See the thing is that life isn't all that great or a lot of people. A lot of people suffer in silence with sickness, pain, fear, depression, loneliness, injustice, abuse as well as many, many other things. So what is love then? Rather than give you some boring dictionary definition instead I'll describe love to you. Love discards public opinion. Love gets its hands dirty to help. Love is messy and complicated. Love doesn't ignore reality. Love is fearless. Love is risky. Love goes into battle for others without all the formal training and qualifications. Love doesn't count the cost, it counts the pain of others. Love is scary and unpredictable. Love exposes pain. Love gives. Love is sacrifice.
In the Bible in Luke Chapter 10 Jesus taught a story of love about a traveller who was attacked by thieves and almost beaten to death. Three men saw him lying there on the road robbed and bleeding and they all had very different reactions. The first was a religious leader that worked in the church. He had position, good pay and a good name. People knew him well and he probably had on his best church clothes. He decided that his position and what he did was far more important than involving himself with some lowlife dirty bleeding man on the side of the road. After all, he already did so much for God and if he got blood and dirt on him he'd have to get changed and was already on his way to a church function. This first man quickly crossed to the other side of the road doing his best to pretend he couldn't hear the moans of pain coming from the dying man. A little while later another man came by, this one was also very religious but the difference here is that he had pedigree. He came from a long line of church goers who held very high up positions. Their family name was extremely well known for all the things they did in church for generations. Their family taught the bible, led worship, ran prayer groups as well as so many other things that everyone knew about.
They were known by all as a family that "the presence of God rested upon". But when it came time to put all that bible knowledge into action, this guy decided to also cross to the other side. You see, he was on his way to lead a corporate prayer meeting and if he was late, the people would think badly of him. He was so bound up by what others thought of him, he didn't stop to think what God thought of him. Sadly this man crossed to the other side of the road leaving the poor bleeding man to die alone. Lastly a foreigner came down this same road on business. He was travelling along and saw the man there on deaths doorstep. By now the man that had been attacked had lost a lot of blood and was suffering from heatstroke, dehydration and sever exhaustion from being left unattended in the hot sun. The foreigner raced to help him, he quickly gave him water and asked where he was from. Then after finding out the dying man was from the complete opposite direction the foreigner was headed he picked him up and put him on his own donkey and began the long trip back to the city where he could get him some help. He paid for his medical care and booked him into a hotel room and tended to his wounds and then notified the hotel that if the man needed any additional care to put on his account.
So... out of the three men that passed by who do you think showed us what love looks like? Pretty easy to spot love hey. Love is extravagant. Love doesn't care for the rules or what others think. Love isn't scared to get its hands dirty or risk getting its reputation marred. Love breaks appointments and gives time to others. God also showed me that love is one of the weapons of our warfare as believers in Jesus but love is an interesting one to say the least. Love is a blade so vast, so massive and so encompassing that it cannot be simply held, grasped or directed. So how to you fight using love then? You must die to self and let love wield you. It is love that directs you, holds you and moves you. You see God is love and no one can ever hope to control God. You just simply submit and instead let God's love control you just like Jesus did when He prayed in the garden before His death "Not my will but yours Father..." There is no greater example of love than to give up your life, your time, your ambitions, your dreams, your money, your well being and your reputation - all to help others in need. That is Love.
[ John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ]
In the Bible in Luke Chapter 10 Jesus taught a story of love about a traveller who was attacked by thieves and almost beaten to death. Three men saw him lying there on the road robbed and bleeding and they all had very different reactions. The first was a religious leader that worked in the church. He had position, good pay and a good name. People knew him well and he probably had on his best church clothes. He decided that his position and what he did was far more important than involving himself with some lowlife dirty bleeding man on the side of the road. After all, he already did so much for God and if he got blood and dirt on him he'd have to get changed and was already on his way to a church function. This first man quickly crossed to the other side of the road doing his best to pretend he couldn't hear the moans of pain coming from the dying man. A little while later another man came by, this one was also very religious but the difference here is that he had pedigree. He came from a long line of church goers who held very high up positions. Their family name was extremely well known for all the things they did in church for generations. Their family taught the bible, led worship, ran prayer groups as well as so many other things that everyone knew about.
They were known by all as a family that "the presence of God rested upon". But when it came time to put all that bible knowledge into action, this guy decided to also cross to the other side. You see, he was on his way to lead a corporate prayer meeting and if he was late, the people would think badly of him. He was so bound up by what others thought of him, he didn't stop to think what God thought of him. Sadly this man crossed to the other side of the road leaving the poor bleeding man to die alone. Lastly a foreigner came down this same road on business. He was travelling along and saw the man there on deaths doorstep. By now the man that had been attacked had lost a lot of blood and was suffering from heatstroke, dehydration and sever exhaustion from being left unattended in the hot sun. The foreigner raced to help him, he quickly gave him water and asked where he was from. Then after finding out the dying man was from the complete opposite direction the foreigner was headed he picked him up and put him on his own donkey and began the long trip back to the city where he could get him some help. He paid for his medical care and booked him into a hotel room and tended to his wounds and then notified the hotel that if the man needed any additional care to put on his account.
So... out of the three men that passed by who do you think showed us what love looks like? Pretty easy to spot love hey. Love is extravagant. Love doesn't care for the rules or what others think. Love isn't scared to get its hands dirty or risk getting its reputation marred. Love breaks appointments and gives time to others. God also showed me that love is one of the weapons of our warfare as believers in Jesus but love is an interesting one to say the least. Love is a blade so vast, so massive and so encompassing that it cannot be simply held, grasped or directed. So how to you fight using love then? You must die to self and let love wield you. It is love that directs you, holds you and moves you. You see God is love and no one can ever hope to control God. You just simply submit and instead let God's love control you just like Jesus did when He prayed in the garden before His death "Not my will but yours Father..." There is no greater example of love than to give up your life, your time, your ambitions, your dreams, your money, your well being and your reputation - all to help others in need. That is Love.
[ John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ]
