A letter from Anthony...
“A new command I give
you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34
As I was looking for some
papers at Ernst’s house in preparation for his funeral a few weeks ago, I came
across a small piece of paper with the above verse written on it in Ernst’s
handwriting. It was in a small container
next to the chair he often used to sit on in his lounge room.
Love is a word that our
culture often throws around extremely freely.
It is not uncommon to hear people use the word ‘love’ to say that people
should be able to do whatever they want regardless of the consequences. This world defines love as an emotion, something
we may feel sometimes and may not feel at other times.
However, Scripture speaks
of love in very different terms. In the
Bible, love is never disconnected from our actions; it is not considered an
emotion but something that defines those who have come to know Jesus.
“Love is patient, love is
kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
If you have attended a
wedding, then it’s likely that you have heard these verses read. But despite being a favourite passage for
weddings, these verses weren’t written with married couples in mind. These verses are specifically describing the
attributes of those who have experienced the life changing mercy of Christ.
“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.” 1 John 3:16
True love, love that has
been shaped by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, is not an emotion that we
experience one day and then not the next. Nor is it an excuse to do whatever we
want. It is the actions and reactions of
a renewed heart and mind, that are being shaped by the love of Jesus Himself.
If Christ laid down His life for us even while our rebellion offended His righteousness, then as those who have been forgiven so much through His mercy, we are called to show Christ-like love to our brothers and sisters.
It is our love for one
another that shows to the world our love for Jesus.
As Jesus says in John 13 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
In Christ, Anthony
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