As many of you know, I am the Pastoral Delegate over at His Service Station. Recently, I had someone come in for assistance who shared their story with me, and as we were talking, she made a comment that was sad. As she was telling me her life story, and how things had gone off the tracks at this point and that, she commented that she hadn't been spoken to as I was in some time. Here's the thing... I wasn't doing anything incredible. I was being polite and being kind. Maybe showing a little compassion to the person sitting across from me. As she responded in this way, it got me thinking how often we are quick to make judgements. We will talk about people, and groups of people as a single lump losing the faces and seeing the group - which can be useful but can also be detrimental. Jesus doesn't tell us to look at the group, but rather says that He is going after the single sheep that ran away (Luke 15:4). Sometimes, it becomes about the one.

Jesus tells us in John 13:34-35:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

This verse can be pretty rough in the life of the believer. Loving one another is hard, because of the ways that it becomes understood as we hear the world around us, but the love that Jesus speaks of is one that is extraordinary. The word here used is agape. Often times this becomes defined as being a sort of divine love, and this isn't wrong, but it doesn't catch it all. It is a sacrificial love. It is a love that is concerned about the welfare of the other as opposed to ourselves. To have agape love means that we love as Jesus loves each of us.

To hear this, let's think about how Jesus showed His love. In John 4, we hear about a Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well. Jesus speaks to her, and speaks kindly to her. He eventually reveals that she had several husbands, but doesn't do this maliciously. Rather, it's just acknowledging that the woman is being honest. Jesus promises her the water of life. In John 8, there is the woman caught in adultery. I must admit, I've always had a deep level of curiosity about the back story on this, but the Beloved Apostle gives us what he does. We hear that Jesus, instead of castigating her and treating her like an outcast, defends her. In neither case so far has Jesus excused the sin, instead He forgives the sin and calls the person to faithful righteousness. He also calls them to a life of change through repentance. In John 11, Jesus' friend Lazarus dies. This is a striking story with all the emotions that run through it. The sisters meet Jesus, and are a bit frustrated, but they also recognize that Jesus could have done something about it - not that He will do something. At the same time, and perhaps the most poignant, is that Jesus Himself stands outside the tomb and cries. Giving us the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept. Finally in Luke 23, we hear Jesus being crucified, and He cries out Father forgive them. In His deepest moment of pain, Jesus could have set it all aside, and left the cross, but instead He lays there being murdered by His very own creation.

For us, as we show this agape love, we hold onto a pivotal doctrine in Scripture - Law and Gospel. Jesus spoke law to the unrepentant. To the Pharisees and those who would not hear Him, Jesus regularly spoke from a place of the law. He did this that their sins might settle in and sink in. That they would feel the consequence of their hateful and hard hearts. In all the other cases, the balm of the Gospel, that wonderful agape love shows as forgiveness, kindness, and compassion. This is the love that we are called to show to one another. The divine love that is selfless and sacrificial. Giving of ourselves that the Spirit of God might work through us to His joy, and the proclamation of forgiveness for all of mankind.

Brothers and sisters, as we begin moving into that period when school starts, vacations end, and we get back to what is the day-to-day life, we remember that Jesus loves us, and we share that love. We hear the words of Jesus in John as He calls us to love one another as He loves us. Who has God brought across your path recently that you are called to love? Who can you show a little bit of Jesus to?

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Phil