Have you ever wondered what the love of God really is, and what it looks like in real life?
Sometimes, this most basic yet illusive concept is the hardest to understand, because we think that we have it and we know exactly what it is, and what it isn’t.
Which may or may not be true.
In fact, our familiarity with “love” may be getting in the way of our true understanding of it.
Do you know what the love of God really is? Read this wonderful sermon by Fr. Andy Cruz Lillegard to find out more.
If you want to know more about Fr. Andy, click here.
The Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or go right to the sermon here.
The Collect
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Acts 4:5-12
The rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is
`the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”
Psalm 23
Dominus regit me
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
1 John 3:16-24
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Gospel: John 10:11-18
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Sermon by Fr. Andrew Cruz Lillegard:
John tells us, “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us…”
In other words, the way we identify real love is by the sacrificial nature of its action.
Therefore, the Evangelist is saying that true love can be recognized by two unique characteristics:
First, that it is always an action – not a feeling, or a sentiment of attraction to, or admiration for someone or something; but an action that is directed toward someone – someone toward which we need not feel anything remotely like attraction or admiration.
And second, that this act of loving will always include some form of sacrifice. Sacrifice undertaken by the lover, to the benefit of the one being loved.
So, again; “We know love [which is to say, we can recognize or identify true love] by this, that He [our Lord Jesus Christ] laid down his life for us [that is, He sacrificially offered up His own life, so that we might receive the benefit of His true life].
At least, that’s what John is trying to tell us in the third chapter of his first letter.
But in that case, I see a slight problem.
Because if that’s true, then what the world has been telling us all along, about the nature of love as an “enjoyable feeling,” must be somewhat less than true.
Or at the very least, we’re using the same word to describe two very different ideas.
Go ahead, and do an internet search of the term “love;” and what you’ll find, first and foremost, for a definition of “love” as a noun is:
“an intense feeling of deep affection;” or “a great interest and pleasure in something;” as in, “Don’t you just love these cookies? Mmmm, aren’t they to die for?”
And then there’s my favorite definition, the one that uses the word to define the word; “a love is a person or thing that one loves.” But I’d point out that this definition at least indicates that love is an action of some sort. But an action it then goes on to define as, “feeling a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.”
Now another famous John, who was a far better poet and musician than theologian, tells us, “All you need is love.” And he makes a compelling argument.
But if that’s all that love is – affection or interest or pleasure or romance or sexuality, and whatever fragile attachment one might try to forge from such uninspired and passing fancies – then, by all means, the world may have as much of it as it pleases, up to and including my share of it.
Because even if you combine all those definitions of love, the unholy-conglomeration you’d end-up with would do as much for genuine human need, as tossing a first aid kit toward the lifeless remains of a fatal heart attack victim.
Love is all you need; John Lennon was correct. But only the love of God, incarnate, and made manifest to us by our Savior’s sacrificial offering of Himself, will suffice.
The kind of love that willingly lays down itself, if only to lift-up another.
The true love that recognizes the needs of others as the only reason it’s been given all it possesses.
The kind of love that lives only to give, and yet paradoxically, like some kind of holy-parasite, cannot live apart from the Host.
A love that defies all worldly explanations, even as it is exceeding all earthly expectations.
The exact love we are called, not to feel, but to act, toward one another.
Love given to us at the greatest possible cost to the One who gives it.
The love of Christ which demands nothing in return, yet necessarily inspires those who receive it to pass it on.
The only love willing and able to deliver us out of the shadow of death, into the loving hands of the One who lays down His life once and for all, in order that we might finally begin to live for the sake of Him and others.
And that kind of love can be manufactured by no one, but was created to be received and given by all.
In my pastoral care of you, many of you have encountered one of my favorite questions; “Do you know how much God loves you?” And perhaps some of you have guessed this to be a rhetorical question, employed to get you considering the fullness of God’s love.
And yet this morning, I would point out that this is in no way a rhetorical question, but more akin to a genuine factfinding mission. Because in truth, the honest answer to that question has everything to do with whether or not, you and I can actually deliver the kind of love we’ve been talking about. The only kind of love that can meet the vastness of all human need.
And without beginning to know the answer to that question, we cannot even hope to make a start of our Lord’s commandment, given in John’s Gospel, and echoing throughout John’s first letter.
The commandment that we need love one another as Christ has loved us.
For if we cannot begin to accept His infinite loving-kindness for us – a love brought to life through His eternal sacrifice for us – then how can we possibly love others in kind?
So, to that end, here’s just a small start to knowing and accepting how much He truly loves you: He loves you – yes, YOU! – to death.
Literally…to His own unimaginably-painful death.
You see, we cannot give that which we have not received.
But once we have truly received it, we cannot help but live it to others. Even, and especially, when they are unwilling or incapable of loving us back.
For this is indeed, the only kind of love capable of loving one’s enemies – an action likewise commanded of us by the One who died not just for us, but also for those who stood, by their own hatred, in opposition to His love.
Love that cares not for the “likes” or “dislikes” of the lover; but is, instead, subject only to the real needs of the object of its holy desire.
All this love-starved world has ever needed is that kind of radical love; and no, money can’t buy us love – not that kind, anyway. But spend your time, your energy, and your money, bringing to others the love that can only be delivered in the name of Jesus Christ.
Purchase it with your life, if necessary, and I promise you: you will be well spent.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.