The Measure of Love

Exodus 33:18-23; 34:5-7               Romans 5:6-11                 John 13:31-38

The Measure of Love

A little boy once wanted to tell his daddy that he loved him, but his daddy just happened to be reading a rather serious book at the time and didn’t want to be disturbed. Frustrated with the impatient grunts and snorts from his otherwise unresponsive father, the little boy jumped onto his father’s lap, threw his arms around his neck, and exclaimed: “Daddy, I love you and I’ve just got to do something about it!” 

Jesus shows us clearly in our Gospel passage for today that love must be expressed if it is to be understood as such, whether it is reciprocated or not. Now, I think it may be helpful at this point to remember, just momentarily, the agony our Lord experienced with the exposure and removal of Judas as well as the selfish indifference of the other disciples – even though Jesus had chosen Judas with the full knowledge of what he would eventually do, he was deeply troubled by his disciple’s refusal to repent. The loss of any soul is indeed an awful thing which should never be taken lightly.

However, it was after Judas had totally surrendered himself to Satan and had abandoned the group – turning his back on three years of close friendship – that Jesus explained the true meaning and measure of love to his remaining disciples. And he began with a powerful demonstration of what love really looks like.

From verse 31 through verse 32, Jesus used the verb “to glorify” five times each time referencing what he was about to do on the cross. Now, one might have expected him to use a different verb when referring to the cross…perhaps the verb “to humiliate” rather than “to glorify” as the cross was his ultimate humble act of obedient submission to the will of the Father. But he didn’t use that verb, did he? 

Was Jesus humiliated at the cross? You bet he was. The Holy Son of God was falsely accused, falsely sentenced to death as a criminal, mercilessly flogged, and paraded through the streets carrying the very instrument by which he would be executed…he was publicly stripped naked and nailed to a cross in full view of everyone. But the worst thing of all was that, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”. (NIV) That was the ultimate humiliation…at least from our perspective.

But here Jesus said that, in what we see as humiliation, he was, in fact, glorified and that God the Father was glorified. What did he mean by this? How was he and how was the Father glorified in the cross? 

Well, in Scripture, the revelation of God’s glory is often linked to the revelation of his character.  In Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory…and God agreed to his request, but in Exodus 34:6-7 we are told how his glory was shown. The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

So, how did God reveal his glory to Moses? Well, by revealing his character.

So, if the revelation of God’s glory means the revelation of God’s character, what does it mean that Jesus was glorified on the cross and that God the Father was glorified in him? How was God’s character revealed to us on the cross? 

In Romans 5:8 Paul tells us that God revealed or showed or demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us on the cross. God demonstrated his love on the cross. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. That is his character. And through the substitutionary death of Jesus, his love finds its ultimate expression. As Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (ESV)

So in these two verses, Jesus set the parameters of his love, a love that supremely reveals itself through self-sacrifice for the ultimate good of others…by giving everything there is to give.

But the cross is not just the ultimate evidence of God’s love…no, indeed the cross reveals all his attributes.  Do you want to see God’s holiness, his righteousness, his justice, his mercy, his goodness, his kindness, his graciousness, holiness, and his sovereignty? Look to the cross. 

However, the cross also reveals to us the goal of his love. The goal of Jesus’ death on the cross was to set us free from slavery to sin so that we might be slaves to righteousness. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been set free from all that hindered us from loving as he loves and from living as he lives. At the cross, the penalty for sin was fully manifested and its payment was fully displayed. At the cross, sin was blotted out. Satan was defeated. All was restored to order, and all was renewed. The record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands was cancelled. Principalities and powers were exposed and overcome. (Romans 6:19-23; Colossians 2:14-15)

But with this emancipation comes responsibility. Just as God required the freed Israelite slaves to obey him, so too God requires us to live according to who we are in him. You see, even though Jesus would soon be physically removed from the view of the world at the Ascension, he would continue to manifest his character and exercise his power through his followers. 

So, here he said to his disciples: “A new commandment, I give to you, that you love one another.” Now you might be wondering how this commandment was new because in Leviticus 19:18 God commanded the Israelites to love their neighbours as themselves. So how was this commandment to love new? 

Well, I purposefully left off the last bit of Jesus’ words. “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” The measure is no longer “love your neighbour as you love yourself”, but more specifically “love one another as I have loved you.” To love as Christ loved is to love even your enemies…to do good to those who hate you and abuse you and spitefully use you. 

This new commandment takes the old commandment up quite a few notches because Jesus’ love for his own was demonstrated through his self-sacrificial life and death. His love for his enemies was demonstrated through his amazing forbearance and infinite patience. 

Similarly, our love must be expressed through sacrificial service if it is to be like Jesus’ love. In so many ways, Jesus has given us an example to emulate. We are to love as he loves. If we do so, it will be obvious whom we follow. If we love as Jesus loves, all will be able to identify us as his disciples because they observe in us the same kind of love that was revealed through Jesus on the cross. As such we, as the followers of Jesus, are defined by the law of love and consequently by the character of our God.

As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (ESV) 

Sadly, all too often, we followers of Jesus miss the commandment to love as Jesus loved because we are preoccupied with other matters. This is exactly what happened with Peter here. It is as if Peter got stuck at “Where I am going you cannot come.” It is as if he did not hear the new commandment to love at all. So, he asked, “Lord, where are you going?” Amazingly, Jesus did not rebuke him but rather met him where he was at. Jesus answered his question, repeating his earlier statement with a little comforting expansion. “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow me afterwards.” 

Now this statement has often been thought to be referring to Peter’s martyrdom, but I am not convinced. In John 14:2-3 Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” 

Now, either Jesus entered the building trade post ascension, or this promise to prepare a place for us was fulfilled at the cross. We must ask ourselves: where did Jesus prepare a place for us in his Father’s house? Well, I believe he did that at the cross. And his coming again to take them to himself, I believe, happened at the resurrection. So, this promise is not a future pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die-by-and-by…no, this is a present reality for those who are in Jesus. 

Just as Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and (now listen carefully) raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (in other words, he has come back from where he prepared a place for us to take us to be with him) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” 

My understanding, if you put these two statements of Jesus and Paul side by side, is that what Jesus meant here was that he would shortly be going to the cross to die for his own…no one could follow him there. But after he had prepared a place for us by overcoming sin, Satan, and death on the cross, he returned from the dead, taking us to be with him in heavenly places. No one could follow Jesus to the cross – only he could do that – but because of his triumph on and through the cross, we can follow him now and be with him now.

But because Peter and the other disciples were still locked in their own understanding of what the Messiah ought to be and do, Jesus’ leaving to them was disastrous. To Peter, it must have seemed as if Jesus was going to go into hiding again…that he was going to retreat…a retreat which was, in his opinion, not necessary…after all, he was willing to take up arms for the cause and to die if need be. 

But our Lord lovingly yet firmly revealed to Peter the true nature of his heart. Deep inside, Peter still did not understand. That understanding would come later, and Peter would, indeed, die for the cause. But for the moment, he was not ready to die for Jesus. 

Now, Peter’s arrogance – his presumption to know better than his Lord – is yet another opportunity for us to see Jesus’ love in action. Even though Jesus knew full well that Peter would deny him, not once but three times, he still loved him enough to die for him and to return to restore him. Jesus patiently put up with Peter’s false self-confidence without rejection and without ridicule. He lovingly yet firmly corrected him and continued to prepare him for the devastating moment of self-realization that was soon to come.

What Peter and the others would come to realise post-resurrection is that the cross was the apex of God’s revelation of his character and the manifestation of his glory. As I said before if you want to know anything about God…who he is…what he is like…look to the cross. That is where he expressed his love for the world…there his glory is seen in the demonstration of his self-sacrificial love. And this is the measure of love that ought to be reflected in those of us who call ourselves his disciples. The world will only know that we are followers of Jesus if they see and experience us loving like Jesus. 

To err they say, is human…to love, divine. Love does not come naturally to fallen broken people such as we are. Love comes through journeying closely with the one who is love and through a daily choice to love others, not only as we love ourselves, but to love them as Jesus loves us and gave himself up for us. 

Easy? No, he never said that. It wasn’t easy for him, and it will most certainly not be easy for you either. 

What Jesus said was by the measure that he loves you, so you are to love too. The cross reveals the depths of Jesus’ love for you…his love for you cost him everything. Is your love like his love?

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024

Memorial Service for a sister in Jesus

I am sure everyone here remembers the days when we used paper maps and tour books to get around. They were not always user-friendly, and we would often take the wrong exits especially when encountering perplexing spaghetti junctions in large foreign cities. Then some genius invented an electronic navigation system and travel became a lot more hassle-free, but still not without the odd quirky routing glitch here and there. 

Now, in many ways, life can be compared to travelling. Sometimes, the navigation system is easy to follow…and then there are times when the GPS loses a satellite signal, or the system has not been updated for a while and then things can get rather interesting. XXXX began her journey on the 14th of January 1955 in Southern Africa. Her life’s journey took her to Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the UK, and the Netherlands. I am sure that there were a few miscalculations and several interesting moments along the way, some scary, some painful, some beautiful. But twenty-three years ago, her path crossed with YYYY’s and a new adventure began.

Photographs and documents will continue to testify to the many journeys of the past, and they will bring with them tears, laughter, and good memories. But the most important journey XXXX made was the one that took her into the very heart of Jesus. 

Navigating life is never easy, but when one walks with the Lord, his presence provides meaning and strength and courage and purpose. When our navigation system takes us down the wrong road, an exit too early or an exit too late or an exit missed entirely, his company helps us deal with anxiety and fear and ultimately, he leads us back to the path we ought to be travelling. 

XXXX’s journey finally brought her to the place we all must go eventually, but when we prayed together two weeks ago, she acknowledged that she knew he was with her, even as she walked through this final valley of death. That valley can be scary as it may feel like our navigation system has led us down an unknown road we would prefer to have avoided. We yearn to have it recalculate and lead us to an alternate route. But our Lord knows that this life is temporary…he has gone before us to prepare for us a place in his Father’s house where there is no longer any darkness, sorrow, pain, tears, or fear…only peace and joy and light.

But our journeys don’t happen in a vacuum…they are always intertwined with the journeys of others. And so, while XXXX’s earthly journey has come to an end, our respective journeys continue. While she lives on in endless bliss, we must continue to find our way in the labyrinth of life until we are led to the same destination she was Thursday before last. And then, our journeys will once more intersect. But until that time, it is for us to travel on with the Lord as our companion and our guide, as he continues to lead us into an ever-deepening relationship with him and with each other, so that our journeying may prove to be a blessing to those with whom we connect. 

With that thought in mind, I’d like to end with a poem written by Linda Ellis. It is called simply, The Dash.

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning...to the end.

 

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

 

For that dash represents all the time that they spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

 

For it matters not, how much we own -- the cars...the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

 

So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

 

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real,

and always try to understand the way other people feel.

 

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more,

and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

 

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,

remembering this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash,

would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent YOUR dash?

Let us pray.

Cutting out the Cancer

Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24                          Romans 9:6-8                         John 13:18-30

Cutting out the Cancer

Of all the dreaded diseases in the world, I think I can safely say that cancer is feared the most. The worst thing about it is that it can be living and thriving inside you without you even knowing that it is there. It can be with you for a long time, slowly stealing your life away, while you remain oblivious to its presence.

However, if it is discovered in time, it can often be safely removed from the body putting an end to its destructive design. If it is operable, it must be discovered, exposed, isolated, and removed with the least amount of disturbance to the immediate surrounding areas. This is not to say that the rest of the body doesn’t suffer from this procedure…indeed the stress on the entire body is immense, especially if some kind of radiation or chemotherapy is involved…but this procedure ultimately does protect the rest of the body from being adversely affected in the future. To ensure future health and vitality, the body must suffer temporarily to remove the immediate threat to its continued well-being.

This procedure could be compared with how Jesus dealt with Judas in the closing hours of his earthly ministry. If you recall we discussed how in the foot-washing incident Jesus commissioned his disciples to a sacrificial, servanthood-based ministry of disciple-making. In a sense, he shod their feet with the Gospel of Peace. Judas too had had his feet washed, but his feet would carry him in a very different direction. 

In this passage, Jesus revealed that while all were called to fulfil a purpose, not all were clean. Just like the reprobate King Saul had been called to be Israel’s first king, chosen by God himself, and as the pagan king Cyrus had been commissioned by God to be the instrument by which the exiles would be released from bondage in Babylon, so Judas seems to have been specifically chosen by Jesus to be his betrayer. 

In John 6:64, we are told that Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray him. The Lord reinforced this statement in John 6:70 when he said, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” (ESV)

In one sense this is very comforting and reassuring. Scripture tells us that our Lord knows those who are his own…he knows his sheep…but here we are told that he also knows those who are not his, indeed, even those who will betray him. Jesus chose Judas knowing full well that he would be the instrument through which he would be delivered up to be murdered. Yet in no way was Judas coerced to betray his master. Indeed, he was given more than ample time to repent, but he steadfastly refused even when he was finally exposed at the table. Never make the mistake of placing man’s responsibility over and against God’s sovereignty. Scripture knows of no such contradiction. Instead, the Word repeatedly presents the two as complimentary. An antinomy if you will. Two apparent contradictions working together. 

A New Testament example of this would be Peter’s statement in Acts 2:23. “This Jesus,” Peter said, “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (ESV) Who delivered him up? Judas? Who took his life? The Jews? In John 10:18 Jesus said about his death on the cross: “No one takes (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

Although the crucifixion of the Lamb of God was predestined before the foundation of the world, those who were responsible for putting this decree into motion were held accountable by God and were required to repent. 

However, the exposure of the nature and calling of Judas at this point in the Gospel serves not only to make his act of betrayal more unjustifiable but it also serves to protect the other disciples…that they might not be shaken by his actions and that they might persevere all the more despite his apparent fall. And, indeed, it serves as a warning to all believers – we ought to frequently examine our own hearts to see if any wickedness lurks beneath the surface. 

This exposure can be likened to that first cancer diagnosis where a patient and their family are told about the presence and existence of this sinister killer. How long had Judas not been with them as a friend? 

However, the knowledge that Jesus knows those he has chosen and for what purpose, should also encourage us when we are confronted with “cancer” in the Church. It teaches us that despite our frailty, despite our faults and our failures, our Lord knows us and upholds us. It teaches us that all the schemes of the evil one and his minions cannot prevent us from persevering to the end. The primary difference between believers and unbelievers is that the former are drawn to salvation by the Spirit of adoption, whereas the latter are drawn away by their own rebellion. Indeed, the disciples and believers down through the ages differ from Judas solely by God’s grace and not by our own goodness or merit. 

Furthermore, our Lord reveals that Judas’ betrayal was a fulfilment of Scripture, in this case, Psalm 41:9. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” (ESV) The quotation serves to heighten the tragedy behind this action. Judas was no stranger. This was a friend who walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, and shared life with Jesus and the disciples …for three years. As such his behaviour is all the more reprehensible. 

The metaphor of lifting the heel comes from Genesis 3:15 where the seed of the serpent is said to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman as his heel simultaneously bruises its head. That this image was used of Judas indicates that through him Satan once again attempted to usurp Jesus’ authority with a view to universal control, but even as all the powers of hell rallied against Jesus – acting through Judas, the Sanhedrin, the soldiers, and the Roman government – all of them served merely as instruments that would contribute to the accomplishment of God’s plan for salvation through the death of Jesus.

However, there is a lesson for us in this and that is that if Jesus suffered at the hands of an intimate friend, we too may need to be prepared to face a similar agony. History teaches us that all too often our worst enemies are those within our own hallowed halls. Like the cancer cells that are often undetectably present in the body, wolves in sheep’s clothing or in clerical clothing, for that matter, lurk in our midst waiting for the opportune moment to attack. They will be known by their fruit. 

As painful as this betrayal must have been for Jesus, it did serve in promoting the cause of God in the fulfilment of prophecy, the ultimate demonstration of his love for the world, as well as the final revelation of Jesus as the great I AM. Jesus is not just the author of our faith and salvation. He is the finisher of it too. He directs our steps. As the one who was sent, he is the sender of all and therefore all who receive those whom Jesus sends out into the world, receive him. I don’t know about you, but this encourages me no end when I think about evangelism. Every one of us has been chosen to perform a specific task…to play a specific role. So, pray and ask him to show you the task he has given to you to complete in this life…pursue it, embrace it, and do it wholeheartedly to his glory and his glory alone.

Now, as I said before, knowing the plan and heart of Judas did not make the reality any less painful for Jesus. The idea of an intimate friend, one who outwardly showed all the signs of true “regeneracy”, one who purposefully maintained an aura of respectability in order the further his own goals, one who seemed to be a follower of Jesus…the idea of such a one now turning and unashamedly revealing his true colours, troubled our Lord deeply despite its inevitability. True, Judas did not hesitate to criticize Jesus even publicly on occasion, but those were only the outward symptoms of a far greater disease…a far more serious inner condition which was now uncovered and laid bare. 

The exposure of a cancerous growth is not to be taken lightly…it is painful and potentially fatal and needs to be dealt with decisively and immediately. Procrastination due to the fear of the painful procedure only serves to prolong the danger and the agony. And so, as Jesus confesses here, that agony was very real…at least it was to him.

The disciples seemed to be oblivious to their master’s pain. All they were concerned about was their own reputation…in other words, am I the bad guy? I don’t want to be the bad guy. Is it me? It can’t be me…it must be you! 

So, the Lord’s needs and his pain were blocked from view by their own preoccupation with wanting to look good. Even here, before the trial, before the crucifixion, our Lord stood alone in the strain and in the fight with the enemy.

But neither did Jesus’ distress bother Judas in any way. Peter’s motioning, rather than speaking, requesting John to ask Jesus who the betrayer might be, seems to indicate noise of some kind. Possibly an argument or vehement denials or accusations…so it is possible that Judas did not hear much of what was said, but if one examines his character…one who habitually stole from the communal purse…one who could feign interest in Jesus’ teaching…who could feign friendship with the group despite his apparent agenda…if one examines his character then one sees a man determined to hear nothing except what furthered his own goals. Indeed, there was no remorse until after the grisly deed was completed, but then, because time is linear, it was too late, and he could not undo what he had done. 

How often haven’t I wished to turn back the hands of time? If only I hadn’t done this or if only I hadn’t said that. And the worst of it all is that I never seem to learn from my mistakes.

In answer to John’s enquiry about who the betrayer might be, Jesus exposed Judas by handing him a piece of his own bread dipped in his own bowl. To appreciate the full impact of this action, you need to realise that this is possibly the same bread that Jesus would use later in the institution of the Lord’s Supper…or, at least it was bread that came from the same Passover Table broken and given by the same Lord Jesus. Either way, it is a sign of fellowship…of an understood connectedness…of a friendship, the reality of which is rejected by Judas. In his heart, Judas knew that he was not part of the fellowship and by accepting the symbol of such a connectedness he portrayed an amazing insensitivity and a total inability to discern the unity of the Lord’s body…as such, he ate the morsel of bread to his own damnation.

It is at this point of callous indifference that Satan was permitted to enter Judas and to harden his heart beyond any possible repentance, because, by his own resistance, Judas had chosen to make his own state incurable. This final act of friendship…this final act of love…this offer of a chance to repent…this final reaching out became the decisive instant of judgment. This is Judas’ final capitulation to the forces of darkness.

It is a terrible, terrible tragedy and not one to pass over too quickly. We ought to pause here and ask our all-knowing Lord to examine our hearts to see if there is any wicked way in us. All too often, like the disciples, we too look around us at others, when we ought to be looking within – at ourselves. 

As Paul tells us in Romans, not all are Israel, which are of Israel…just because they are the seed of Abraham, does not mean that are they all children…children of the flesh are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. So, not all who claim to believe are believers. Many are born in the church, live in the church, and participate in the Church for years, but are never one with the Church. 

As Jesus did not wish to prolong the agony, he made a clean and permanent cut to effectively remove the cancer from their midst. With the deftness of an expert vinedresser, he clipped off the fruitless branch and cast it outside. His instruction to Judas was plain and simple: “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

There comes a time when pretence becomes an insult and the inevitable becomes the imperative. Judas’ internal character is brought out to the exterior as Jesus asked him to leave the fellowship he was never part of. Without repentance, without any protestation, without an attempt at reconciliation, there was only one thing left to do. 

The fact that the other disciples remained unaware of his unmasking shows the remarkable depth of his deception. He managed to live his life in such a way that he fooled even those who were closest to him. Every Judas throughout history has had this uncanny ability to cloak his real nature with the wool of the Lord’s sheep.

The conclusion of this tragedy is the removal of the cancerous growth, a shutting out and a closing of the door. Judas, under cover of the darkness that is symbolic of his life, left the fellowship to set in motion the forces that would lead to the arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus. As such, Judas became the prime example of someone who walks with the Lord yet never walks in step with the Holy Spirit…ever living in obedience to all that is contrary to life in the Spirit.

To us, this passage serves as both a warning and a comfort. Like all true believers, we ought to regularly examine ourselves to ensure that we do not take the Lord’s goodness for granted. As Paul warns us, even the smallest piece of yeast will eventually permeate the whole dough. Healthy introspection reveals a spiritually sensitive soul…something that was apparently absolutely absent in Judas. He was so senseless in his malice that he remained untouched by Jesus’ words.

Cancer in any form is an awful thing and, once discovered, its presence ought not to be tolerated. Indeed, even a moment of indecision may very well be the difference between life and death. Likewise, cancer in the Body of Christ must be dealt with decisively and speedily. Delay only serves to aggravate the situation or worse…delay can lead to a deadly form of forbearance, an unhealthy toleration of what the Scripture calls ‘evil’, and eventually to a spiritually lethal compromise. A fruitless branch must be removed for the good of the vine. Cancer must be irradiated for the health of the body. And what must be done, must be done quickly.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024