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.”
Christ's love was different. Undoubtedly, his death for our sake draws us to himself while setting the standard of perfect love. A King, the one true King who personally laid the foundations of the world for his sake came to earth in the form of a man, but not to rule as so rightly deserved. When the crowds recognized him as the Christ, the anointed King, they tried to have him rule, but he turned them away. He sought not power or recognition, but instead he lived as a servant in all ways. As God in the flesh, he came to minister the message of reconciliation to God and refused to be turned away. After passing the message in one town, he walked to the next rather than relishing in success. He washed people's feet, he submitted himself to government, and he laid his life down on a cross.
So we say we as his followers should love as he did, but largely we miss it. We say yea we believe, and maybe we try to sin less, but we still miss it. How often does a non-believer see the way we live and say they must be a follower of Christ? How often do people see us and say the only way to explain that is that they are a follower of Christ? From my experience, almost never. How are Christians recognized? They're the ones who don't drink, don't have sex, and don't cuss. Maybe they still do those, but just call themselves Christians. Christ said people would know us by the way we love, but that's certainly not how Christians are recognized. So was he wrong? Or maybe the way we love isn't really what Christ meant.
So what was it? Where have we gone astray?
1 John 3 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Love is not affection.
Love is not just holding people as important to oneself.
Love is not just a condition where we need another person.
Love does not stop at spending time together.
Love does not stop at wishing well of others.
Your love is not about YOU.
Love is living for the sake of someone else.
Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
How often do we wake up in the morning and go what do those around me need today? How often do we look to make sure others get what they want above us? How often do we turn down helping someone because we're busy with our own interests? There is no greater love than this, so I think this is where we start with love.
A piece of the sermon on the mount gives one of the best pictures of this I know.
Matthew 5:39- 42 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
So Jesus starts by saying that if anyone slaps your cheek to let them slap the other. Culturally, a slap on the cheek was a was of disgracing someone (see Isaiah 50:6). Today, all the time I see people say something stinging, something that tears a person down in front of their friends. And to come back with a witty, quick counter-attack is nearly demanded. I've seen this get so bad with me and my brothers, to a point where I can barely stand to go home from college. To love someone when the world says you fight back, maybe you look weak. Maybe you look like Christ.
The next is ridiculous. Imagine walking through the streets of Atlanta and a thief corners you and demands your wallet. In that instance, you should hand him your wallet and take your new iphone out of your pocket and hand it to him too. You should give him more than he demands at expense to yourself. Can you imagine someone who when assaulted like this would say, "Sure, I like this. It cost me some money. But this person, he thinks he needs it. Maybe he does. But I choose to give this benefit him, despite his attack against me." Don't we do the same thing to Christ every day?
"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." Not every day does someone try to tear us down or rob us, but rarely do we go a day without having someone ask something of us. To love like Christ, we do what they ask. If someone asks us to walk down to let them in North Ave, we go let them in. If someone calls at 3 a.m. about an english paper, we answer their call. If your brother takes your clothes, you let him keep them. And above being asked, we need to search out ways to serve, help, and love people. To continuously say what can I do for someone else rather than what can I get people to do for me will look pretty close to the love that can only be explained as following Christ.
