My
command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he
lay down his life for his friends.
Insights: For those who were
present Sunday, hopefully, I will write these sermon points better than I
preached them. Mark uses a technique
quite frequently throughout his gospel, but it is not used as often by John. The style used is known as an inclusio passage. I like to call it a “sandwich” passage. In other words, the passage will start with a
piece of bread and then have some meat in the middle and will conclude with
another piece of bread. Both pieces of
bread say the same things and the meat is the substance in the middle of these
end points. The bread this week is the
command of Jesus for us to love each other.
He starts and ends this passage with that statement. Unfortunately, we as finite humans do not do
perform this command perfectly. All
kinds of things happen in our relationships.
Think about King David for a moment.
He had a close friend who was an advisor and even sat at his table for
meals. But something happened and this
close friend joins the ranks of David’s enemies. Read and feel the pain David experienced as
he wrote, “Yes, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat my
bread, hath lifted up his heel against me (Psalm 41:9).” Jesus experienced the same thing. Judas Iscariot was such a friend that Jesus
had placed him in charge of the finances of His ministry, but then out of
frustration and disappointment he betrayed Jesus. Even though we sometimes act like David’s
friend and Judas Iscariot, we are still commanded to love each other. At this point Warren Wiersbe’s words are of
some assistance. He wrote, “While
emotions are certainly involved, real Christian love is an act of the
will.” The point Wiersbe is making is
that our loving others is as simple as a choice. We make a conscious choice to love
others. Tomorrow, we will discuss what
empowers us to follow through after we have made this conscious decision to
love others.
Questions:
- Are you striving to be a friend to others like Jesus
has been to you?
- Or are you only a friend as long as the relationship is going your way?
Prayer: Father, forgive me for not being a good friend to those around
me. Continue to change my heart make me
a friend like You. Amen.
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