6/26/13- The Mark of Love

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34,35)

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Thoughts: So some have said that the way you tell the church is really there (a "mark" of the church) is by the true preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and the discipline of the church.  Others have said that the marks of the church are being "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic."  But there is a mark that is missing from these traditional views.  It is the mark Jesus gave, and said everyone will know you are the church if you practice it- that is love.
     The "Love" spoken of here is not eros- (sexual love); or phileo (friendship love).  It is agape- (unconditional love).  When we learn to turn the other cheek, to love our enemy, to love our neighbor as ourselves- then we have learned the kind of love Jesus was speaking of.  This kind of love is rare among groups, and that makes the church that much more distinguishable.  Paul agreed when he said "Faith, hope, and love- abide these three- but the greatest of these is love."  Churches that are consumed with the Law may be missing this kind of love.  You can have all the right doctrine- but if you don't have this Jesus kind of love it means nothing.  If a church administer the sacraments correctly and has balanced discipline- but has not love it is nothing.  The world does not need a perfect church- it needs a church that loves God, each other, and neighbor.  In fact, no church does this perfectly- but the more we do this the more we are witnessing to our true faith and our reason d'etre.  It might be said that church is the place where we grow in love.  It is the place where we are supposed to learn to be patient, kind, not boasting, not proud, not self-seeking (all the things 1 Corinthians 13 speaks of when it mentions love).  Churches grow, not because they have right doctrine alone, or the latest fashionable thought.  We do not argue many into the kingdom.  Rather, it is love that melts through the arguments.  Love is the mark that the Holy Spirit is at work- casting out fear, comforting, encouraging. If God is love, then it makes sense that this is a true mark of His body- His church.  Love is what the world needs, what the church needs, what we need, and what God needs. 

Prayer: Help me to love as you have loved me.