Title: The Commandment of Love and Joy
Love Commandments and Joy
commandments and love
The point of our reading today is very clear. That is the very word stated in the last verse 17. “Love one another. This is my commandment to you.” It is a fact that all the Bibles teach that the most important message of Jesus is ‘love’. In the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 12:28-31, Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 10:25-28), this fact is described as Jesus' answer to the scribe's question. The scribe asked Jesus: “Which of all the commandments is the first?” Then, quoting the ‘shema’ in Deuteronomy 6:4,5, Jesus answered that it is to love God with all your soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. “There is no commandment greater than these two” (Mark 12:31b).
Although the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospels of John equally state love as a commandment of God or a commandment of Jesus, it is not so accurate to define love as a commandment. Because love is not something we can put into practice as we do someone else's command. We can practice love formally. You can live without turning away from those in need. But it is difficult to say that it is love itself, because we quickly fall into hypocrisy. So, why does John explain that love is the commandment of Jesus?
We can explain this for two reasons. One is an explanation through the context of the text. This verse should be read with the background of the description of the ‘vine’ in 15:1 and below. Jesus said this in verse 1. “I am the true vine.” Christians are, of course, branches attached to the vine. If the branch is not attached to the vine, it cannot bear fruit. So in 5b you said: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” From these words we can read that the situation in the Gospel of John is quite precarious. They are being ostracized by Judaism. In times of crisis, the inner unity of the Christian community is more important than anything else. That is why John is preaching the words of Jesus, “Love one another.” That is the commandment of Jesus.
The other is an explanation through the relationship with the Jewish law. Judaism's laws are God's commandments, that is, admonitions and commands. They maintained their relationship with God that way. Thus, although early Christianity was fundamentally overcoming the law, it was forced to teach in the way of those accustomed to Judaism. Love is the commandment of God, and it is the commandment of Jesus. In this sense, it is not wrong to say that love is a commandment. However, it should be clearly known that it is not the level of the law.
love initiative
What does it mean that the commandment of love is not the law? The law refers to certain absolute norms that must be obeyed unconditionally. Look at the most representative law, the Ten Commandments. For Jews, it is not something they can choose according to their mood, but it is an unconditional norm to follow. Anyone who has Korean citizenship and lives in this land must obey the Constitution unconditionally. Paying taxes is mandatory, not optional. Today's text explains love differently from the level of the law. Look carefully at verse 9 that Jesus gave. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. So you always stay in my love.”
That's right. Love is entirely within the power of God, not because of our obligation to love or the desire to love. To say that Heavenly Father loved you means that God has the initiative in love. Strictly speaking, love does not come from us; it is the exclusive power of God. Of course, in today's text, the commandment to “love one another” appears, but that does not mean that man has the power of love. I'm only mentioning the commandment of love to convey the fact that love is central to the Christian faith, but love is not a skill or tool that we can handle with our efforts, like math skills, piano playing, or the leadership that people are concerned with these days. no.
Many Christians today are trying to put love into practice. It's a good thing and a good thing. There are also a lot of love meals for the hungry elderly and street people. South Korean churches have played a significant role in North Korea's food aid. It is not revealed in this society, but in this area, the Protestant Church has accumulated outstanding achievements compared to other denominations. I think that such relief and welfare work is an important part of practicing Christian love, but I think further explanation is absolutely necessary. That is, we must not align these efforts with love. Some insist, “When Christians change, the world changes,” and insist on practicing love. The idea that we can practice love is a legal way of thinking. In this way of thinking, even though the Pharisees live an exemplary life, they are also caught up in the pride that they are different from other people, and just as the Korean church is showing pride in front of poor North Korea while helping North Korea with food, it is impossible to show the fundamental ability to love.
According to today's text, it can be said that Jesus first recognized the fact that God loves him. And he became one with the love of God. The love of Jesus was the love that began with God. Jesus, who fully realized God's love and lived in it, lived a life of love just like God. On this level, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that is, the God incarnate. Jesus is the one who made the invisible God visible. The ontological power of God is aligned with Jesus, and that is what Jesus has shown us in our whole life. “Stay always in my love” (9b) means to remain in the love of God who is one with Jesus.
That's right. As I said before, we cannot love ourselves. At best, we can only pretend to love. Some people, of course, can be seen as truly loving. You can't say it's perfect love though. Do you know why? Since this is a sensitive issue, I will have to give an example. It's hard to find someone who has put love into practice like Mother Teresa. However, it cannot be said that his love practice was perfect. Because he almost unilaterally focused on love on a personal level, paradoxically, her actions acted as a stumbling block to the just transformation of the social structure. I do not mean to disparage His sublime practice of love. I'm just trying to tell you that the practice of human love is inevitably relative, and that in the end, God has the initiative in love. In this respect, remaining in that God, fully believing in him, is the only way we can share in love. It is natural that those who want a life of love should draw near to God who has the initiative of love.
practice of love
Then, if we focus only on believing in God, does everything work out? If we have faith, does the practice of love that we have to bear in life actually resolve itself? It can't be. The fundamental initiative of love belongs to God, but it is our responsibility to put it into practice. So, the Gospels including today's text explained that love is the new commandment of Jesus. One of those commandments is to love each other first among Christians in the context of exclusion from Judaism. The commandment of love was emphasized in the sense that love, the ontological power of God, must be practiced concretely in the church community.
The practice of love must be embodied not only in the ecclesial community, but everywhere Christians live. Love must be manifested not only in the heart, but in the practice of practical life. That is the commandment, and according to verse 16b, it is the “fruit” of life. If a Christian truly believes in God who has the initiative of love, if he recognizes him, and if he believes in Jesus who is one with God, then the practice of love is natural. In this sense, James once said: “My brethren, of what use is it if a man says he has faith and does not put it into action? Can such faith save that person? A certain brother or sister is naked and has run out of food for that day, but what good is it if any of you tell them to go in peace and warm themselves up and eat well, without giving them anything their bodies need? Faith is like that. Faith is dead unless it is followed by actions” (James 2:14-17).
But I cannot tell you what the specific practice is, what the methodology is, and what is universally valid for all Christians. Although James is teaching above to give food to the hungry, the contents do not appear so clearly only when our love is put into practice. And the Bible does not teach every issue in detail. Ultimately, those specific issues are for us to decide for ourselves. What about our love for homosexuals, for example? What should our attitude toward couples who are no longer married? Is it love that persuades you to live unconditionally, or is it love that tells you to shake it off and start over? What kind of attitude is the heart of love in front of the destroyed ecosystem?
In this respect, love is associated with a fierce world perception. It cannot be solved simply by wanting to live a good life or to serve others. In the end, as I said earlier, we have no choice but to admit that love is not our ability, but God's ontological ability. Even if we do not have the ability to practice perfect love, we can obey it when the power of love overtakes us. In this regard, we have no choice but to offer a simple prayer that our awareness, judgment, and decision for the practice of love conform to God's will.
love and joy
It seems that the core topic that today's text is trying to tell us has almost been addressed. But a much more essential fact awaits us. The reason why we need to experience God's ontological power of love in the midst of being ostracized by the Jews and put it into practice in real life is the fact that it is the foundation of joy. Look at verse 11. “I have said these things so that my joy may be shared, so that your hearts may overflow with joy.” It is said that love is the source of joy. It must be said that only those who have found love enter the world of joy.
As I spoke about the initiative of love earlier, I quoted the words of God, “I have loved you as the Father has loved me.” Isn't this saying that only those who have discovered God's love can put it into practice, and at the same time, doesn't it mean that we can find joy in that fact? Could it not be that only those who have discovered this joy can naturally practice love?
In this respect, love and joy are two sides of the same coin. God's love brings joy into our lives. The fact that we are given eternal life beyond death brings us to joy in the truest sense. Winning the lottery excites us for a moment, not joy. It is the first priority for you to get rid of the sense of duty to practice love and to discover the joy of life through the love of God. Such joy will draw you into the power of love, like the theme of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, “Chorus”, in which you repeatedly shout “Freud!” That is the unique way that God, who is love itself, works in our lives.