From Richard

1 JOHN 2: 3-11

CHRISTIANS: FIRSTLY LOVE EACH OTHER

Morning…let’s turn to our Bibles and read 1 John 2: 3-11…

David often reminds us to: love one another. May that be the beating heart of St Christopher’s; a group of ordinary people who love each other extraordinarily.

What is interesting is that John is reminding us of what Jesus commanded; love one another.

We might frown at this point and ask: how can love be commanded? Surely love is something we feel or simply happens?

That is our culture’s current definition of love. So the stories of our culture are that we “fall in love” – or that love is something, a power that we cannot control. It happens to us. We are helpless when the power of love happens. It is rather interesting in our supposed “rational culture” that our culture actually believes that love is like that!

Christian love is not firstly a feeling. The emotion of love cannot be commanded – but love, as an action or behaviour, can.

So what does John mean when he says we should love one another?

Let’s re-read the final three verses of our reading today:

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Notice how many times John uses the words “brother and sister”. I simply take this is as meaning that there is a “firstness” of loving our fellow Christians. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t love others but if we are not first loving our fellow Christians who love and uphold us, who we enjoy fellowship with, who we share our love for Jesus with; how on earth can we love those who are not Christians?

The relationships we should have with one another will be on a different plateau than those who are not Christians.

One of the members of staff I work with is also a Christian. We are able to talk about things which I simply cannot talk about with a non Christian. We understand what it is to be a Christian and can advise, help, support each other. It is a wonderful thing to have that fellowship.

When people walk into St Christopher’s and see us as a group of people – what would you wish they see? Yes, they will see people of different ages, with different gifts and abilities, of different concerns and issues – a bit of a cross section of society. But the overwhelming sense is of a people who love each other – “who bear with each other” (Colossians 3: 13). 1 Peter 4: 8 says in his letter: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

How can we love each other more deeply?

Answer: 1 John 4: 19 says: “We love because he first loved us.” How did he first love us? 1 John 3: 16 says: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

When we look at each other and something irritates us about someone else – or we find ourselves growing impatient with someone, consider how patient the Lord is with us with our continued sin. How often do we return, tail between our legs asking God for forgiveness. Yes – confident that he will forgive us as we read last week. But our reaction to the continued, faithful forgiveness of God should lead us to humility in self, gratitude and understanding. As that grows deeper in us, we can look at others – those who we find difficult and at least say: “there by the grace of God go I” – but also have a deeper understanding of God’s patience with us which will start to produce a fruit of patience in us.

So as we do life today, let’s remember to love one another as Jesus has loved us.


Category: The Bridge , Thought for the week