The Lord’s Great Love
“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22-23)
You are warmly welcome!
We had a great Kakumba Home Coming last Sunday, with many people gathering and calling to mind the mutually enriching friendships and growing together in the progressive life of this Chapel. In the last Lent season I wrote about one discipline that is mandatorily required if life is to be meaningful – and that is love. The things people do for love – it’s amazing: regular visitations – whether it shines or rains, regular communication – no matter how much distance separates them, regular giving and receiving of gifts, regular fellowship – quality time together, defending each other – including going with him to court when he is being charged, the list goes on. Is this what Jesus meant when He said, ‘love one another’?
Well, since He said, ‘as I have loved you’, we must check what Jesus did for love, in order to follow the example. Yes, there is sexual love between people the opposite sex, and there is love for family (fileo love), but what is indispensable in all relationships is the love Jesus calls us to. The two types above remain inadequate; neither can stand alone. The two are not the ways Jesus called us to love, although he did not condemn them; rather he explicitly called us higher to love as he loved. Even in the absence of the two types above, the love Jesus called us to will stand and enrich those who possess it. It is unconditional love. This is God’s great love which even prophets of old testified about.
Indeed the shortfalls of our loves are not few: there is a hurting mother whose husband does not know details of what goes on with his children, and therefore cannot support them enough; there is a hurting man whose lover left without reason and moved in with another man; a picture of lovebirds is published when one has killed the other for some petty reason – and such stories go on and on. The five love languages are several times forgotten. The failures are given propping reasons, but the consequences are dire and damaging. We need Jesus’ love, no matter what kind of relationship.
For our Lord, love was his discipline, it was his lifestyle. He stooped low and left all his glories and called his followers friends (who were really his servants); he loved them patiently and drew them close without looking at their inadequacies. He did not throw them out when they fought or when they failed in some tasks. He laid down his life and gave the ultimate sacrifice. And yet he would not get back anything significant – material or otherwise! As a believer, determine to follow the example of our Lord, and build a bond of love that will stand the test of time. Make love your discipline and you will be blessed indeed.
God bless you as you all.