Serving Love

November 1, 2020 Background Scripture: John 13:1 – 35 Lesson Passage: John 13:1 – 15, 34, 35 It is generally believed that John wrote his account of the gospel at least twenty years after the other three authors, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Of the four writers, Matthew and John were clearly eyewitnesses to the many events of Jesus’ ministry. John likely read the other three accounts and therefore he was careful not to simply repeat what had already been written. John’s account of the gospel fills in a lot of gaps left by the other writers; and yet he declared that all the accounts collectively don’t come close to recording all that Jesus did—John said the world could not contain the books that would be required to do that! John provided much more details than the other writers about Jesus’ evening prior to his arrest. The Background Scripture of our lesson is part of John’s written account about that evening. It appears to have been two or three meals eaten that evening; the first century recipients of the writings would have understood this, and no further clarification was required for them. As one of the meals was ending, Jesus arose from the table and dressed himself like a slave. He poured water in a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet. This would have been customary had they been invited guests at the home of someone who had servants to perform this task. This was very unusual after having followed Jesus for over three years as his students/apprentices. Their graduation was approaching, and this was one of Jesus’ final lessons for them. Earlier, they were bickering about which one of them would be the greatest. Jesus presented this lesson as a show and tell. He demonstrated the principle first, and then he explained the principle to them. Their Lord and Master had placed himself below them and served them as a slave would. Jesus did not behave as a host—although he was the host. The lesson was this: The greatest among them would be the one who would be willing to serve the rest of them. Their greatness would not come from being lords over each other. To emphasize this point, Jesus declared his actions to be an example for them to follow. Jesus was not instituting a new religious ritual but demanding that they have a new attitude towards each other. Note that Judas Iscariot was at the table and received the foot washing from the Master. Jesus told them that one of them was going to betray him. He identified Judas to John and then he dismissed Judas from the room. The other disciples did not know why Judas was being sent out. Then Jesus gave the eleven a new commandment; they were to love each other in the same manner he had loved them. Jesus went on to tell them that serving each other as slaves would be the distinguishing mark that would readily identify his true followers. To do so would be an act of true love for each other. Jesus always spoke of love as an action and not an emotion or statement of affirmation. This was not a suggestion or recommendation for them. This was a commandment that they were charged with keeping. They were not told to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, or wear certain religious jewelry as advertisement so others could identify them. Their act of service towards each other would be the distinguishing sign to all men that they were Jesus’ disciples. Do people know who we are? Or have Christians today become incognito? If there are doubts, we can erase them by serving each other in love. Robert C. Hudson October 12, 2020

Love Never Fails

October 25, 2020 Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27 – 14:1 Lesson Passage: 1 Corinthians 13:1 –13 It is not what a person possesses that matters as much as what possesses that person. That sums up the topic of our lesson. This topic is from verse 8 of the Lesson Passage: Love never fails. In this passage of scripture, Christlike character is exalted above spiritual gifts and ministry. Who you are is more important than what you have or what you do. Put another way, who a person is, is more important than the fact they are anointed and the service they render to others while under that anointing. Character counts. After discussing the vanity of having spiritual gifts that are not accompanied by love, and the behavior of believers governed by love, Paul concludes that love is eternal. On the surface that appears to be a giant leap to a conclusion. How did Paul reach such a conclusion? Let’s consider what Paul wrote to accompany his conclusion. After Jesus returns and Christians are glorified, there will no longer be a need for the spiritual gifts that are so needed today in the church—and in the world! Yes, those wonderful, and necessary, gifts of today will no longer be needed when all things are made perfect. The spiritual gifts are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit within the body of Christ. The gifts are the spiritual tools needed to empower Christians to be bold and effective witnesses for Christ. Jesus admonished his followers before his ascension to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrives to empower them with the gifts before they go and declare the gospel to the world. It is clear that spiritual gifts are indispensable for reaching lost humanity with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. However, Paul warned the church that having spiritual gifts and employing them in ministry is rendered ineffective in the absence of a Christlike character that is the product of love. Even when change comes about because of the gift, it is not to the credit of the individual who used the gift. There is no reward for their labor when it is not a labor of love. Paul concludes that having the spiritual gifts without love reduces the person to: sounding brass or a clanging symbol, nothing, or results in no profit. A character of love exhibits longsuffering, patience, kindness, humility, gentleness, and restraint. Prophecy, revelation, and teaching impart knowledge for our spiritual awareness and growth. However, when all truth is revealed, there will no longer be a need for them because we will then know everything completely. Those gifts will then be shown to be temporary because they will cease. The crescendo of Paul’s argument is “Love never fails.” That is amazing when one considers: never is a very long time! There will never be a time when love will no longer be needed. Love is an essential and enduring facet of the Christian character. Love is greatly needed in this imperfect world and yet it will be just as needed in the perfect world to come. When all ese has failed or is no longer needed, there are three abiding graces given by God: faith, hope, and love. Faith and hope are necessary as we await the fulfillment of all things. Faith trusts God’s promises and hope looks for the manifestation of them. But when everything expected has arrived, why hope for what is readily seen? Faith and hope will hold out until all comes to pass as God has promised. After this, only love will remain. Love is the greatest of the abiding graces of God. Robert C. Hudson September 26, 2020

Love for Neighbors

October 18, 2020 Background Scripture: Leviticus 19:18, 34; Luke 10:25 – 37 Lesson Passage: Luke 10:25 – 37 Jesus understood the entire scripture in such a profound way. Because of it, his explanations using scripture were simple and easy to understand by laypeople. Today’s lesson is an example of just that. The initial question Jesus was asked was put forth as a test—as an attempt to expose him as fraudulent. A teacher of the Law asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” It seems clear from the Lesson Passage that the lawyer thought he already knew the correct answer to his question. He was not asking Jesus to obtain information from him. He was asking to show others how little Jesus knew. Jesus asked him to answer his own question based on his knowledge of the Law. The lawyer answered by giving the same two scripture passages Jesus had used in another public setting when he was asked which of the commandments was the greatest. On that occasion, Jesus had said love for God with one’s total person and love for one’s neighbor fulfill the entirety of the Law and the Prophets. Since the lawyer responded by giving the same summary Jesus gave previously, Jesus told him that he would live eternally if he obeyed those two commandments. To this, the lawyer pushed his luck a little further. The lawyer asked a second question. The second question brought forth the most insight about the subject of loving one’s neighbor, “And who is my neighbor?” This is a very good question. If “love for one’s neighbor” is one of the keys to inheriting eternal life, then it is best we all know what that means. Jesus responded by putting forth a parable that illustrated the answer. Today we refer to the parable as the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable consisted of four people with one of them being a victim of robbery and battery. It is probable that the Jewish listeners would have identified the injured person as a Jew since he was assaulted after he left Jerusalem. The other three are clearly identified by Jesus as a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. Adding the Samaritan to the mix makes this parable interesting. The Jews and Samaritans did not socialize and were considered hostile to each other. The injured man was looked at and avoided by the priest. The Levite came and looked at the man and then moved away from him. The Samaritan came to the place where the injured man lay and showed compassion to him. He administered some first aid to the man and then placed him on his beast and carried him to an inn where he could recover. The Samaritan paid the cost of the room and for the further care of the injured man. The Samaritan stated that he would return and pay any additional charges that may be incurred after he left. Jesus’ question to the lawyer was, “Who was the injured man’s neighbor?” The lawyer answered that it was the person who showed the man mercy. He probably couldn’t bring himself to say it was the “Samaritan”. To this, Jesus simply said “You go do the same thing.” Being neighborly has nothing to do with proximity of homes. Ultimately, how we treat people determine who our neighbors are. Love is a benevolent act of the will of man towards mankind and love is a submission of the will of man unto God. Both are required if we are going to love our neighbor as ourselves. Robert C. Hudson September 24, 2020

Love for Enemies

October 11, 2020 Background Scripture: Luke 6:27 – 36 Lesson Passage: Luke 6:27 – 36 I once thought that a person’s love should be reserved for special situations and special people. But that was because of my concept of the word “love” as it is typically used in English. In English, the word love is often connected with emotions and feelings. There are four Greek words that tend to be translated in English as “love”. Three of those words are found in the bible. Our text uses the word agape in its Greek form. The Greek definition of agape describes acts of benevolence that are motivated by someone’s need with the one meeting the need finding joy in doing so. This is the love God extends to mankind through the offer of salvation. God delights in meeting our need for salvation. God sent Jesus to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus did not come as some obscure bystander observing humanity. Jesus was born into the human family. Jesus was very forthright in his engagement with people from all walks of society. He taught all who would hear him concerning the things of God. Jesus’ teachings were radical in the first century. Jesus pulled no punches when it came to pointing out hypocrisy and superficial people. He also stated clearly what was required for a person to be righteous before God. He told his followers that their righteousness had to exceed the righteousness of the religious leaders in Israel. He talked about loving people who were normally counted as bad: users, robbers, and bullies included. Love must not be limited to those who express love in return. Love should not exchange favors. But rather, love should seek opportunities where payback is not likely or is impossible. Jesus admonished his listeners—especially his followers—to exhibit God-like character by doing good for those who do not deserve it. This is not so difficult when one recognizes and accepts that we do not deserve God’s blessings. Why did Jesus’ teachings appear to be so radical? For one reason, his teachings defied “common sense”. “Common sense” suggests that a person should be kind to kind people and set limits so that mean people don’t abuse or misuse them. “Common sense” suggests that life is filled with give-and-take and compromises with like-minded people. Jesus taught that the character of a God-fearing person must exceed these expected norms in society. God-fearing people must be kind to mean people. God-fearing people must relax their limits even when they know they’re being used by bad people. This is a far cry from the playground mentality of “if somebody hit you, hit them back”. Just when they thought they knew how to handle both good and bad people, Jesus gave them new requirements. Is there no wonder some of Jesus’ followers decided to leave and follow him on more? This is radical teaching! And what about those people who seem bent on destroying others whenever an opportunity presents itself? Jesus said a God-fearing person should love them. This is the agape love. God-fearing persons should fulfill the needs of their enemies—and delight in doing so! This mindset can only come from God. I can meet the needs of someone who clearly hates me. But, to delight in meeting their needs requires a regenerated spirit and the mind of Christ. God readily provides both to all who sincerely call upon Him for salvation. With God’s help, it is possible to show love for one’s enemies. Robert C. Hudson September 23, 2020

Love that Intercedes

October 4, 2020 Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 19:1 – 7; 23:1 – 18; 2 Samuel 9 Lesson Passage: 1 Samuel 19:1 – 7 To intercede is to act as a mediator or to go between two parties with the intent of reconciling differences between them. Intercession can be a precarious endeavor—especially, if the situation is one that could result in the loss of life. One can be in danger from either side. It is possible that both sides could pose a threat. How do the parties feel about you getting involved in their business? Do they want you going between the two of them? Intercession is not a work that should be taken lightly. Our lesson teaches about a situation that was dangerous; indeed, it was life threatening. However, the bond of true friendship was sufficiently strong to overcome the fear of endangerment. The writer of Proverbs wrote “A friend loves at all times.” Of course, the implication is that of a true friend. Jonathan and David were true friends. Jonathan interceded on several occasions on behalf of his friend, David. Jonathan’s father, King Saul, became jealous of David and sought to kill or have David murdered. King Saul attempted to take David’s life himself. After his effort failed, then King Saul attempted to set David up to be killed by Israel’s enemies. Each time a scheme was concocted, God delivered David. King Saul was aware that God was protecting David, but he continued to seek David’s death. King Saul even reminded Jonathan that David would be the reason Jonathan would not succeed to the throne and serve as king after his father. Jonathan understood this, but he recognized and accepted that God had already made choice of David to succeed King Saul. Jonathan was content to be David’s friend and to see David prosper at God’s hand. Jonathan placed himself, diplomatically, between his father, Saul, and his friend, David. Saul and David were far from being equals. Saul was the first king of Israel and David was a young man from a poor family among the people of Israel. In other words, David’s family were subjects in the kingdom ruled by Saul. Saul had Israel’s military at his disposal, and he used the military in his attempts to take David’s life. The military was constantly sent on missions to find David and execute him. David was on the run with a group of outcasts from Israel’s population. Under normal circumstances, this would be no contest. Those were not normal circumstances. David was God’s choice to replace Saul and Jonathan was David’s friend. This enraged Saul because Saul knew that in a kingdom, sons should succeed their fathers as rulers. Jonathan was not interested in a position God had established for another person. Besides that, Jonathan loved David. Jonathan’s actions were clearly motivated by his desire to see David be successful. Jonathan was not acting out of benevolence to meet David’s needs. Jonathan acted as a true friend by showing affection for David and concern for his welfare. Jonathan rejoiced to see David survive and be successful. In life, one is likely to have many acquaintances and meet many people over the years who will willingly lend a helping hand. Few acquaintances will go through life with you and always be there to lend a helping hand. A true friend is as close as one gets to finding such a person. And that person will show a love that will intercede. Robert C. Hudson September 23, 2020