No 12

(His lessons on love)

When we speak of Jesus’ teachings on love, it would take much more than this sheet of paper. The Apostle John summed it up pretty well when he said “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” John 21:25. So, where to we begin? Well, I suppose a good place would be to speak about how Jesus Himself showed love. The Gospels contain a plethora of verses on the subject but I feel that some of the more definitive explanations are given by the Apostle Paul. In the book of Romans, chapter 5, we read “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (vs7,8). Also in Galatians 1:4, the Bible says “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” So there is no doubt that the Bible is replete with verses on how Jesus loved.

Now, let us look at how Jesus wants us to love; again, there are many, many teachings so let us narrow them down to how Jesus’ definition of love is contrary to the law. Someone once asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment; to which He said: “29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31. We have all read these verses many times but it is good to see them in the context of how these two commandments are contrary to the law. Here’s how – in Old Testament times, people did not take the name of the Lord in vain because the law said not to; the same applies to matters regarding other people. One did not covet someone else’s goods because the law said not to. Jesus’ teaching on love applies this way – you don’t take the name of the Lord in vain because you love the Lord and you don’t covet your neighbour’s goods because you love him; it is as simple as that. The Lord never made things complicated; everything was always simple to understand and to apply. The really important things in the Bible are very simple to understand.