Oak Chapel United Methodist Church

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[Read John 14:15-21]

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  The words of Jesus!

Last week, we heard the terms and conditions of the old covenant.  They sounded like this:  “[If] you … return to the Lord your God … if you obey and keep his commands and decrees that are written in [the Torah].  …When all these blessings and curses … come upon you and you take them to heart … and when you and your children return … and obey --- then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes…!”  This was the word of the Lord!  This was a conditional agreement. 

Think of it this way:  It’s like saying to a child: “If you clean up your room, then I will allow you to go outside to play.”  The child can’t go and play until he has cleaned up his room!  Going out and playing, therefore, is contingent on the cleaning of his room.

Another term for such an agreement is … an ultimatum!  What’s happening in this ultimatum regarding the child? 

Well, the child will typically clean his room only if he really wants the benefit of going out to play!  There’s got to be a carrot at the end of the stick … and a fine carrot at that!  But, if we added:  “And if you don’t clean your room in the next two hours, you won’t come out of it for the next two weeks!” … then the child might be even more motivated to clean his room --- now because of the fear of spending two weeks in a dirty room, instead of being outside playing with his friends! 

This was the way of the old covenant – it was motivated by a carrot and by fear!

But, Jesus isn’t establishing a conditional agreement here.  He’s simply saying:  “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  If we relate this to the case of the child, it might sound like this:  “If you really appreciated being allowed to go out and play, it would show by the way you kept your room clean.” 
Now, why does the child clean his room?!  Because he’s appreciative!  Because he’s thankful that he has such a loving mom!  Instead of responding to fear, he responds to love … to grace.

Isn’t this what Jesus is saying?  “If you really love me … it will show by the way you obey my commands.” 

We agreed last week that in both the old and the new covenants one is called to obey the commands of God.  The difference is --- in the latter case, we obey because we love Jesus!

“If you love me…” Jesus said!  Notice he didn’t say, “If you are religious…,” as the Athenians were!  He said, “If you love me…” 

Question:  What does it mean to “love” Jesus? 

I hear people say, “I love golf.”  Is that how we’re to love Jesus?  I hear people say, “I love ice cream.”  Is that how we’re to love him?  How about, “I love my dog” --- is that the way we’re supposed to love Jesus?  “I … love my wife!”  Is that how I’m supposed to love Jesus?!

What is “love”?  What does it mean, “to love”?  What does Jesus mean by it?!

When I was a kid, my mother said to me, “I will trust you until you give me reason not to!”  Wow!  My mother didn’t just trust me as far as she could throw me!  She trusted me totally, without question! 

I’ve sometimes told a person that I trust them --- but then I follow them around, spying on them, making sure they’re really doing what they’re supposed to.  Is that trusting?!  …Certainly not!  My mother really trusted!!  I tell ya, we tried to do what we were supposed to … not because we feared punishment, but because we didn’t want to break our mother’s bond of trust!

 

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commands.”  A loving response!  Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you must love…”  A loving response to love!  In the case of my mom, it was a loving response to her trust!  …In Methodist terminology, we would call these a faithful response to grace!

So, what is love?  …In this reading from John 14, the term “love” is used 5 times!  Jesus also says, “If you love me, my Father will give you the Spirit of truth … and, because I live, you will live … and you will be loved by my Father.”  Wow!  Isn’t that what you want --- to be loved by God?!  

So, what does it mean to “love Jesus”?!  What is love here?!

In 1 John 4:8 & 16, the writer says, “God is love.”  I’ve said this a few times over the last few weeks:  Instead of thinking of God as a person in the clouds who loves us.  Think of God as love itself!  God is the love that has been working on humankind from the very beginning of time --- to bring us to the way of life as love designed it!  Love is the way of all relationships as God designed them.  Love has always been at work … and is still at work … seeking to touch our hearts and to gain our faithful response … our thankful obedience.

See if this helps you to think of God … and life … and Jesus … and life --- and the new covenant any more clearly.  Listen, as I attempt to tell the biblical story in a little different way:

God is love.  The first two Commandments that Moses gave to the people from God say, “Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself!”  So, Love says in the Old Covenant, “Do love … and you will prosper … or burn and have your name blotted out from under heaven!” 

Well, the people tried to do love; but they realized they were failing!  They were not prospering!  They were dispersed from their promised land!  All hell kept breaking out around them!

Love then said, “Do you see?  Not only do you not really know love, but what you do know, you can’t seem to do.  The reason, don’t you see is, because you’re doing it out of fear (like the kid not wanting to spend 2 weeks in his dirty room!).  Your trying to do it only out of fear of not being prosperous in health and wealth … and the fear of receiving my wrath!  You’re not doing it from your heart … out of love for me and for your neighbor!  You’ve got it all messed up!”

The people therefore prayed for a Redeemer, a Deliverer, one who would show them the way … the way to love --- to obey Love’s commands.

Love finally said, “This is love!”  And, incarnated itself, brought love to real life … in real life situations … in real teachings … in the unimaginable ends that it would go to for the people … in the person of Jesus!

Many people said, “Wow!  That’s love!  That’s God?!  Man, that’s certainly the God I want!  That’s the God I need!  That’s what will redeem and transform my life and my relationships!!  That really is what I want … and need!  What a difference it will make in my life!  …Wow, that love was given … for me?!”

Love --- God, God’s self --- was impressed upon their hearts!  And they started to re-look at the law.  And they began to see and to live the spirit behind it!  …Because they had the Spirit of Love … of God … inside them --- in their hearts.

And then those people said, “Wow!  This is love!  This is what the world needs!  I’m going to take this love out into the world!  I’m going to go out and love others as I have been loved --- in the way that love has pursued me and humanity for one heck of a long time!  This love has to be of God!  This love must be God!  I’m going to put all my trust and faith in this love!  Incentives don’t motivate the best in people!  Fear certainly doesn’t either.  But, this love really does!  This is the way … this is the truth … this is the way of life … the way to God … the way to love!”

 

So, what is love?!  It’s God!  As you look back over the entire Bible, it’s what humankind has needed to really learn.  It’s the only way to obey God’s commands --- to live according to God’s plan … according to love’s design!  Only love has power over all other powers --- over both gree and fear!  Only love causes someone to do what is good for the right reasons!

“I will trust you until you give me reason not to,” mom always said…  My mother’s love was much more of an incentive to me to do my best … better than any other carrot or any punishment!

And yet, love … the love that is God … goes even further! 

When we break Love’s trust … love cries!  Love’s heart is broken!  God says, “Oh, I wish that hadn’t happened!  Oh, I don’t want to not trust you!  I want a trusting relationship with you forever!  I’m going to cancel the dept you now owe me.  I’m going to forgive and forget how much you’ve hurt me by violating my trust.  …Just turn back to me now!  Return to me.  Trust me and my love for you.  Trust what I call you to.  Obey what I put on your heart.  Let’s start over again!  Let’s return to a right relationship!”

And God pays the price for our sin, for what we did to sever love’s trust!  …God died for what I did to violate that trust!  Jesus gave all!  …And then, he rose again and said, “Now, let’s start over!  I’ll trust you again!” 

Wow, I sure don’t deserve that!  That’s love!!  It’s so much more than loving ice cream, or golf, or my dog.  I can see that it certainly is the way I’m called to love my wife!! … and all in God’s world!

Wow, I’ll have to go think about that a lot more! 

~~~  I feel like praying!  I pray that this might be what you also feel compelled to pray right now too!

 

Oh Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth … the Spirit of Love … that I might love as you are love and have showered yourself on me!  Help me with my most challenging relationship today.  Give me the power to love so as to show a broken and contrite heart … to redeem that relationship.  Help that person who I care so much about to see you in me and to trust you … that love. 

O love that will not let me go, give me the power to love in all my relationships and in all your creation.  Empower all your people to so love that the power of your love might come to be known to the world … that humanity, creation, might be redeemed … brought to the peace of your new covenant … come to live and love --- to obey the Spirit behind all your laws. 

Send forth your Spirit, O Lord!  I go from here to continue to think about the incredibleness of your love … to be prepared to receive your Holy Spirit into my mind and heart and soul.  Thank you for Jesus, your love made incarnate!  This is love!

Amen.