Two men went to church one day to join in the worship of God. Each man sat apart from the other. One man sat in the front of the sanctuary. The other sat in the back. When it came time to share joys and concerns, the man in the front of the sanctuary stood to speak. He turned to face the congregation and in a loud voice said, “God, I am thankful today. I am thankful that I am not like other men here. Some intimidate others for money. Others are unjust. Some may even cheat on their wives. And at least one takes in taxes on behalf of a government that abuses us. God, I am thankful I am not like other men. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” When the man had finished sharing his prayer, he sat down. Everyone in the sanctuary sat in stone-cold silence. Into that void of sound came a man’s voice, just above a whisper, coming from the back of the sanctuary where the second man had seated himself. And the people heard, “God, forgive me, I am a sinner.”
This, of course, is not an original story. This is a retelling of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector preserved for us in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 18, verses 9 through 14. Jesus used this story to teach the point that “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
But this story also teaches us that some of the harshest critics, some of the most unloving people we will encounter, will be found in the church. People with whom you share the worship of God, people you would expect to be caring, compassionate, and loving, sometimes can be harsh, judgmental, and envious. Jesus knew something about unloving behaviors within the church. Judas would betray him for a few silver coins. Religious leaders, Pharisees, people who loved to pray in public, would accuse him of all sorts of crimes and then lie to the Roman governor, and shout, “Crucify Him!” Jesus knew this fate awaited Him. So, before these most unloving acts by God-worshippers occurred, Jesus shared a meal with his disciples. There, Jesus washed their feet, expressing his love for them. Then Jesus said this, “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
Jesus' words to “love one another” were not a suggestion. It was not a brainstorming idea. His words were a commandment to those who would claim him as Lord and Savior. His words were a commandment and the single standard by which all people, those who followed Him, those ignorant of Him, and those who reviled Jesus, would know who His true disciples were. If people claimed Christ and loved others who claimed Christ, then they had proven themselves to be his true disciples. Claiming Christ and being unloving toward others who claimed Christ proved they were not Jesus’ true disciples. Clearly, Jesus understood how corrosive unloving attitudes are to the message of redemption and hope that He brought into the world.
Jesus’ words had a significant impact on his disciple John, who recorded Jesus’ words in his gospel account. John would go on to restate Jesus’ words six more times in his letters to the churches he oversaw. John wrote,
- 1 John 3:11 - 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
- 1 John 3:23 - 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
- 1 John 4:7 - 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
- 1 John 4:11 - 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
- 1 John 4:12 - 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
- 2 John 1:5 - 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
The Apostle Paul similarly spoke of the essential nature of loving one another when he wrote, “8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). These references give us insight into the fact that loving one another was and is an indispensable part of the Christian experience. Remove it from the Christian experience, and Jesus said, “It is no longer Christian.”
And so, with that extensive New Testament background, I want us to explore Peter’s apostolic command in his letter to the exiles of Asia Minor to love one another. Peter said this, “22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).
Peter, addressing these exiles in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, began by telling his fellow Christians that the ability and capacity to express love for one another begins with obedience to the truth. Obedience to the truth, Peter said, purifies the soul. Importantly, Peter did not say obedience purifies the soul. Peter said instructively that only obedience to the truth, not my truth, not your truth, but the truth, purifies the soul. What is the truth that Peter was talking about here? Peter had addressed the central elements of the truth in the 3 imperatives that preceded this one.
Peter said, “13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” (1 Peter 1:13). The truth is found not in temporary things of humanity such as fame, wealth, beauty, and status. The truth is found in the eternal, in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who were, are, and will be. Our minds must be freed from the anxiety of a mortal existence alone, and we must see the truth that God created us in the flesh and spirit. Knowing that we have hope for eternity through the grace of Christ Jesus relieves us not only of concern about where we will spend eternity but also of human pettiness, envy, and jealousy.
Peter then said, “Be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15a). Peter encouraged the exiles to be holy because Christ is holy. Therefore, they should “not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14). The truth is our human ways are evil in the sight of a holy God. God said, “8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. 9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'” (Isaiah 55:8-9). The truth is that our old ways of doing things do not represent God’s way. There is an overwhelming sense of self-importance in our old ways. We are, if you will, always the hero of our own stories. We are, Peter said, acting out of ignorance. That is the truth. However, when we accept the holiness of God, begin to learn from Him, and conduct ourselves in a holy manner, what underlies our behavior is purified.
Finally, Peter said, “Conduct yourselves with fear” (1 Peter 1:17b). In fear toward God, our lives can reflect reverence and respect for God. We come to understand the truth that God granted us mercy through the blood, through the death of Jesus. That is the truth. We are blessed not by works that we do but are blessed by the completed work of Jesus.
From this truth, Peter reiterates Jesus’ commandment and tells the Christian exiles of Asia Minor, “22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). Peter understood Jesus’ commandment that loving other Christians was an essential part of the witness to the world, especially a world that was suspicious of Christians. The original word here for love was the Greek verb agapaō (ἀγαπάω). It denotes unconditional, sacrificial, and active love. Unlike phileo (brotherly, emotional affection), agapaō is a choice—a commitment of the will to cherish, prefer, and act in the best interest of another. This type of love is active, not passive. It is a love that is consciously seeking association with the other and is looking, listening, and thinking in terms of how the interest, the welfare, the betterment of the other can be advanced. It is a love that does not grow weary of doing good for the other. But Peter’s description here is not a love universally shared with all of humanity. It is a love that is to be shared between brothers and sisters in Christ. Peter said further, “17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17). Love (agapaō) the family of believers. To all others, show proper respect. There was to be a difference. The Christian community was to be to the world a “wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9b).
In some sense, Peter’s words might suggest that Christians have two sets of standards—one way of behaving toward the world and another toward other Christians. But Peter was not emphasizing disregard for the world. Instead, Peter was emphasizing the standard of Christ: “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). The witness to the world was not to be expressed in loving each other. That would prove the genuineness of discipleship.
Peter would emphasize the necessity of active love near the closing of this letter. Peter said these words, part of which have become quite well known. “8 Above all, keep loving (agapaō) one another earnestly, since love (agapaō) covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). “Love one another earnestly,” is the repeated commandment to make the love for other Christians distinctive, attractive, and self-sacrificing. Peter added, “9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:9-11a).
To that Peter famously added, “love (agapaō) covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8b). Love (this deep, agapē-style love) forgives, overlooks, and does not keep a record of the many ways people fail or hurt each other. This is similar to what Paul famously wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). Love does not seek to hide sin or pretend that it is not so. Instead, love seeks to forgive sin, refusing to let it destroy relationships, and not broadcasting or holding grudges over every offense. It seeks patience and does not change even when the other Christian falters. Instead, such love seeks to lift the other quietly and in a restorative way, so that they can continue to contribute to the community of believers.
Around you today are your fellow exiles. This is the community of believers to which God has called you and me. This is the community that Jesus said you and I must actively love as part of the outworking of our discipleship in Christ. Now do we exhibit love (agapaō)? Are we actively loving, always seeking the best for others, or is our love more passive, in that we help one another, we uplift one another, whenever it is convenient and only for those people I know and like? Do we keep a record of the “multitude of sins" others have committed, rather than choose mercy and patience instead of constant score-keeping? Do we say in our way, “God, I am thankful today. I am thankful that I am not like others here”?
The kind of love Jesus commands of us is not an easy love. Neither was the love Jesus expressed an easy love. Jesus knew the cross was going to be a horrendous ordeal of pain and suffering. Jesus knew that becoming sin for others would be a gut-wrenching experience for someone who had never known sin. But this was the love Jesus willingly displayed. Why did Jesus do so? In Jesus’ case, it was to cover over a multitude of sins. Sins you and I have committed. Sins that the blood of Christ covered over so that we could be born again with a new Spirit. Since Jesus did that for us, how then can we not love one another?
Let us then take stock in how we love one another. Let us love actively, and let the world see Christ in us. And let us say, I do this for Jesus, for to him belong glory forever and ever. Amen and Amen.