Easter V, Cycle C
May 9, 2004
"Love One Another"
The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel
Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Lessons: Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; St. John 13:31-35
Our gospel reading for this morning, is from what we call Jesus' Farewell Discourses at the end of St. John's Gospel--when Jesus, at the Last Supper, on the night of His betrayal, on the night before He was crucified, spoke honestly, and directly with His disciples, about how they were to live their lives as disciples. What we hear today, is Jesus' new commandment, that "you love one another, as I have loved you." Jesus says, "by this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
This is arguably, one of the most familiar, and most quoted passages from the mouth of Jesus--that many consider the-- be-- all and the end-- all of Jesus' teachings. And in one way, it is, the be all and the end all. Jesus had summarized all of the commandments of God, as had rabbis throughout the ages, as consisting of these two: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." These two were the sum and essence of all the other commandments God had given, and if you couldn't remember all the 613 commandments contained in the teaching of the rabbis, you would do well to remember these two. But then, at the Last Supper, Jesus issues a new commandment. One that sounds surprisingly similar to the two great commandments, but with an important twist. Now, Jesus doesn't say simply, "love your neighbor as yourself", nor does He say just, "love one another". He says, He commands, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
And in some folk's minds--in the minds of many Christians--that's where every discussion should begin, and end. We ask, what could be simpler than love? We assert, the way Christians should approach every person, situation, decision in life, is to ask, "What is the loving thing to do?" And in a way, that's what we should be asking. The challenge arises, however, when one asks also, but--what is love?
Reinhold Niebuhr, writing more than a half a century ago, protested that American Christianity has become "irrelevant to the problems of justice", because it persists in presenting a sentimental notion of love "as a simple solution for every communal problem". Indeed, Christians today struggle, and the Church is struggling, and our society and culture is struggling, because American Christianity persists in presenting a sentimental notion of love as a simple solution for every communal problem. Which doesn't mean love isn't the solution-- it's just that it's not usually the sentimental, simple solution that we might readily jump to.
For example, when Christians are faced with the myriad of difficult issues we are confronted with--when Christians are confronted with abortion, divorce, sex outside marriage, homosexuality--many Christians turn to what is often the simplest, yet sentimental response, "Well, we are commanded to love one another, so, if a person wants to do that--we should respect their desires and choices, and let them do what they want." That's the simple, sentimental response of many Christians. The more difficult-and honest approach to love, asks, "where do the individual's desires and choices begin, and the will and command of God end?" "Does God's love for us, and Jesus' call for us to love one another, really mean that we are free to do whatever we want?" And the pre-eminent question, "how can we so easily put love of neighbor, ahead of love for God, and obedience to His will--for life?" Fulfilling Jesus' commandment to love, isn't always the simple, self-evident act that first comes to mind.
Another example is how many parents have mistakenly understood love to be "giving my teenager space, letting him or her live their own lives, protecting them against all negative consequences." These attitudes have led us to a time when we have children and teenagers who have never been taught right and wrong, have never been told "no", have never been given limits and boundaries, and so, act out over and over again, never having to suffer the consequences of their own actions. And their parents may claim, "I just tried to love them", but they have never really confronted what loving our children and teen, really means. They've never really asked the harder question--"what is love toward my neighbor, what is love for my kids?" It means, at times, setting strict boundaries, and giving clear limits--that bring consequences and yes, maybe punishments, when violated. It means "not" letting your kids do whatever they want, just because they want. It means teaching them that God has commandments, and that Christian households follow those commandments, because God, not teenagers, knows best. Commandments about not lying, and stealing. Commandments about living chaste, pure lives as sexual beings. Commandments about not being greedy, or envious of what other's have. And yes, commandments about being sober, about not abusing alcohol and drugs, about treating your body as a gift from God, a veritable temple of the Holy Spirit. Of course, our teens, our young people, sometimes see such commandments as antiquated, negative, restrictive, and downright, painful , for modern, free-thinking youth such as we have today. But the hard truth is, sometimes, true love, real love, is painful. Not in the sense that "you always hurt the one you love", but in the sense, that love, love that reflects the love of God, the agape that Jesus commands of His disciples, is not sloppy or sentimental; it doesn't offer simple solutions, just to avoid pain, or struggle, or discipline. Indeed, Jesus says, "by this, by your agape--by your love that is not self-centered, or self-focused--but is love that is of God--by this love, everyone will know that you are my 'disciples'." And once again, it's no great surprise--it's no great revelation, that disciples, are to be disciplined--and so also, must our love be a disciplined love. Not just any old kind of love; not "l-u-v"--love; not romantic, or lustful, or "let you do whatever you want" love--but love, that reflects the love of God, for us. Love, that is modeled, on the love of Jesus Christ, for His people. And what kind of love is that?
Love that calls us to sacrifice. Love that calls us to deny ourselves, and take up our cross. Love that calls us to be disciplined--disciples. Love that calls us to speak, and live the truth, even when it might hurt--even when it might cause pain. St. Basil the Great, monk, theologian and bishop, living in the middle of the fourth century, teaches us, "He who has the love of Christ sometimes causes pain, even to someone he loves, for that person's good." And while our goal is never to cause another pain, by our love, we are never to hesitate to love, truly, just to avoid pain--whether our pain, or the pain of another. And that, of course, is where Jesus' command to love, gets--complex. That's why the love Jesus commands, is not always simple, and is never sentimental. Because it's not based on what we want, nor on what others want from us. It doesn't seek to make life easy, for us, or for our neighbor, for our spouse, or our children. The love Jesus commands, is to be based on the love, He has for us--and His love, is based on the love of God the Father. And this love, does not always say yes to our requests, our wants, our behaviors. God's love, is shown to us, in both Law, and Gospel. God, in love, says to us, both "yes", at times, and "no" at other times. God, in love, uses His hands to lift us up and comfort us, and to chastise and reprove and chasten us. Because, that's the way God, our loving parent loves. Not with human love, that as Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, "is directed to the other person with little regard for the truth…not human love, which makes the truth relative, since nothing, not even the truth, must come between it and the other person." Rather, writes Bonhoeffer, God's love, divine love, what spiritual love is, 'only Christ tells in his Word. Contrary to all my own opinions and convictions, Jesus Christ will tell me what love toward others, really is."
And that's not just what Bonhoeffer says, that's what Jesus says, in our gospel reading. That's what Jesus is saying, when he says, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." We are to love, not as we want to love, not as we want to be loved--now, the new commandment is, to love, as Christ loves us--to love, with the love of God, which is anything but, simple or sentimental--to love, with the love of God, which speaks the truth, in love, and seeks the truth, in love, in all things! That's what love is. That's how Jesus loves us. That's how we are to love one another!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.