Articles
Word Of The Week: Love
Jesus was considered an unorthodox or revolutionary teacher by the Jews, for He gave radically different explanations of the Law of Moses and the coming spiritual kingdom than what they were accustomed to hearing. But nowhere was Jesus more revolutionary than His teaching on love.
Jesus said that love for God and for one’s neighbor were the central elements of the Law (Matt. 22:34-40). John called love the “message that you heard from the beginning” (1 John 3:11; 2 John 5). Jesus both taught love and demonstrated it.
- He demonstrated it by humbly serving others.
- He demonstrated it by teaching the truth of God.
- He demonstrated it by compassion on the suffering.
- He demonstrated it by dying for all men.
In a day when the word love has been corrupted by overuse (we love our dogs, pizza, country, spouses -- you name it), Jesus and His apostles taught a willing, sacrificial love that went far beyond the response of the object loved. Christians seek the highest good even of those who don’t love them in return.
