Today I moved onto to the next study in my book. Jonathan Edwards is today's writer. He is often called "America's greatest theologian." He was born in 1703 and went to be with the Lord in 1758 after receiving a small pox inoculation. He was a pastor, theologian, and missionary. He was a missionary to the Native America's in the new America. At age 13 he entered Yale College and later graduated as Valedictorian! He was a Calvinist of Puritan heritage. He played an important role in the shaping the First Great Awakening and stood for gender equality.
John 13:34) A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you may also love one another.
As a Christian the true mark of the Holy Spirit is my ability to love. Jesus knew what was ahead of Him on this night. He must have felt it important to stress love to His disciples. To fully understand this I must also understand the relationship between Jesus and the Disciples and the relationship between all the men.
Each of these men had completely dropped EVERYTHING to follow Jesus. They left jobs, family and friends. They left their reputations to follow this crazed man called Jesus. They were beaten, imprisoned, and I have a feeling knew they also may be martyred eventually. They loved Jesus and felt the world needed to know Jesus' love for all mankind, Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus knew His men would need to fully understand divine love because they would watch Him be tortured and murdered...and would need to forgive those responsible.
Then there was the relationship between all the Disciples. We all know familiarity can breed contempt so I am guessing there were issues among the men. They probably did their share of arguing. Being the humans they were they may have jockeyed for position with Jesus. I bet they argued who loved Jesus the most and who Jesus loved the most! Often when times get stressful we take our worries out on those closest to us. I have read statistics on the amount of families that split up after a family tragedy. It is rather high. Judas and Peter's actions probably let the other men down. Each man may have had their own personal worries about what happens next. Jesus was going to be killed and He told them He had to leave them. Remember they did not have the end of the story laid out in a book before them. Jesus wanted to be sure they continued to love each other through their angst and heartbreak.
My guess is He knew the Disciples would need to love those who were responsible for His death. He also knew their lives would not get easier. Off the top of my head I believe all the Disciples were martyred except Judas and John. Judas killed himself and John died of old age. Jesus had profound words as He hung on the cross.
Luke 23:34) Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing..."
We are to forgive just as God has forgiven us. I believe He is reminding His men to show love towards those who will kill Him. True love and forgiveness go hand in hand.
As usual with a few short words Jesus offers so much instruction. He knows the challenges He and His men have already gone though and knows what is ahead. He knows true, divinely-inspired love is needed to continue His mission. Without the type of love spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 we are useless to His cause. He has a mission at hand for us. Jesus never said this type and degree of love would be easy. I, for one, have not perfected it. I am pretty good at loving the easy people...those I like and like me back. It is the rest I find a challenge! With my own will it is impossible. With God it is not impossible.
Luke 18:27) Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
1 Corinthians 13:1-7) If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
No comments:
Post a Comment