LOVE - from the perspective of John

John 15:12 reads
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Countless churches have split because Christians have not learnt what it means to truly love one another. I will be the first to admit that I find this one of the most difficult commandments to fulfill - simply because my heart is too small... and its HARD to love way the Lord has loved us; with an unconditional, limitless, forgiving and merciful love.

As I seek to fulfill this commandment, I am reminded time and again of my wretchedness and sinfulness. I relate completely with Paul when he wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15 "... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

1 John 4:20 reads
“If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen.”

Not only is loving others a commandment, but the consequences of not consciously seeking to do so are dire. For if you profess to love the Lord and hate your brother (ie other fellow believers), you are nothing short of a LIAR.

What does it really mean to love one another?

This question has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks.

1 John 3:18 tells us
"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

Loving in deed and in truth - love is not about words, but about the state of our heart and our actions. Each time I put love into action, one parable that I have been constantly reminded of is found in Matthew 18:21-35 on love that manifests itself in the form of forgiveness.

Here, Peter asks Jesus - how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to 7 times? To which Jesus replies, "I do not say to you up to 7 times, but up to 70 times 7." (Purposive interpretation - that there is NO LIMIT to forgiveness)

Jesus then goes on to tell the what is now known as "The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant".

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’
27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet[d]and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’[e]
30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

10,000 talents versus 100 denarii -
- 1 gold talent = $5,760,000
- 1 denarii = $32

When you compare the magnitude of these two debts, it seems incredulous that someone who had been forgiven of $5,760,000 x 10,000 would pursue a debt worth only $3200. But yet that's what we do everyday of our lives. We forget that God has forgiven us 10,000 talents, and we pursue the 100 denarii "owed" to us with a vengeance.

We like because, we love although. The Lord loves me despite all of my weaknesses, inadequacies and sins - just as He forgives me each day of the 10,000 talents (and counting) that I owe to Him, my challenge and my prayer is that I will learn to love as He has loved me.