What’s Love Got to Do With It? (Spoiler – A Lot!)
What, Where, Who, When, Why
1st Corinthians 13:1 reads, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” Too often, I feel like I’m behaving more like Animal[1] from the Muppets than a born-again believer in whom resides the Holy Spirit of the living God. As we approach the end of the year, I would aim to finish well rather than wait for a new year to make a resolution. There’s no time like the present, and there’s never a bad time to reset and refocus on what matters to the heart of our Father in heaven. So, what is love and where do we find it?
What is Love? 1st Corinthians 13:4-8 reads, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
Where is Love? 1st John 4:16 reads, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” Wouldn’t it be great to finish the year with God abiding in us richly in His love?
Who do we love? In the Old Testament God gave his people His law to set them apart from other nations and to reveal His holiness. There are around 613 commandments[2], a daunting number which are hard to read, let alone follow! God knew this and gave the Israelites a system of sacrifice to pay for the failings of His people, foreshadowing the sacrifice Christ would ultimately have to pay for us on the cross.
In Matthew 22, a Pharisee asked Jesus which is the great commandment in the law, and Jesus responded in verses 37-40 saying, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and Prophets.”
In John 13:34-35, Jesus said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
These verses give us the answer to our question—we are to love God, love our neighbours, and love our brethren.
When do we Love? Lamentations 3:22-23 reads, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
So, let’s mirror our Lord and aim to love all the time!
Why do we love? See above 😉.
~ Michael
Prepare your heart for Sunday by reading the passage and listening to the songs we’ll sing.