Laying Down Our Lives in Love

John 10:11-18, I John 3:16-24

 In John 10, Jesus tells about himself using the metaphor of being the Good Shepherd. He compares himself with a mere hired hand in the way that the Good Shepherd will actually lay his life down for his sheep. He uses this metaphor to say how he will on his own accord lay his life down for the sheep when he endures crucifixion and death in order to bring us salvation. Christ followed the command from the Father and though he could have refused to do it, he did so for his love of us – as the metaphor says for the love of his sheep.

In the book of I John the writer brings this act of love home to us. We are to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. How? By helping someone in need. He goes on to say let’s not just do it in word or speech but live it – in deed and truth. Don’t just say it- show it! Where does this self-giving spring from? He tells us that if our hearts don’t condemn us we can have boldness before God. This comes from obeying God’s commandments and doing what pleases God. Having this boldness, we can receive from God whatever we ask.

The writer stresses two commandments. One is to believe in the name of God’s son, Jesus Christ. Two to love one another as Jesus taught us. By doing so, keeping these commandments, we abide in God and God abides in us. How do we know this? By the Spirit that God has given us.

Many parents would lay their lives down to protect their children. I heard about a man trapped in the mountains with his two young children. He built an icehouse for them and built a fire in it to keep them warm. He didn’t have enough ice for a door, so he lay down in front of the opening to keep his children warm. He had his children sing church songs as they waited out the storm. When the children were found alive later, the father had frozen to death. He had literally laid his life down for his children.

We may not be asked to literally lay down our physical lives, but we can give of our time and resources to help others in need by putting aside our busy lives to help others. This is true love taught to us by our Good Shepherd, Jesus, in his action on the cross to save us from our sins. Amen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Job’s Restoration/David’s Redemption

  Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalms 34:1-8, 19-22   After Job has a long talk from God, Job answers acknowledging his own lack of knowledge compared with God’s. He talks about uttering things he did not understand. Now after hearing and seeing God he repents in dust and ashes. What is his reward for this humility? God not only delivers him from all his troubles, but God restores his fortunes twice as much as he had before. He lives till 140 seeing four generations. In the 34 th Psalm, David praises God for deliverance from trouble. He addresses the myth that the righteous have no troubles – just ask Job. David says in verse 19 that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will rescue them from them all. He brings up the point, however, that God is with us during our struggles. This suffering soul cried out and was heard by God who saved him from every trouble. He tells how the angel of the Lord surrounds those who fear him and delivers them. Verse 8 talks about t...
Read more

Wiping Away Tears

  Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:1-5a   It was hard choosing which two Lectionary readings to write on this week. The gospel story of the Rising of Lazarus is one of my favorites. But since I’ve touched on that account in the past I was drawn to the Isaiah and Revelation passages that talk about wiping away tears. Isaiah prophecies of a time to come where the Lord of Hosts will make a feast of the best foods for all people. Earlier in verse 4 it tells how the enemies of the Lord will be defeated and the poor, needy, and distressed championed. Then it is said that the Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces and disgrace will be removed. Not only this great feast for all but the Lord will swallow up death forever. Salvation has come to those who have waited on the Lord. Instead of tears they will be glad and rejoice in God’s salvation. In Revelation we have John’s vision of God’s final salvation coming. He sees a new heaven and a new earth. A voice tells him this is the...
Read more

Reverent Submission II

Mark 10:35-45, Hebrews 5:1-10 In the gospel of Mark, James and John ask Jesus if they could have the high status of sitting next to Christ in glory. In answer Christ asks the question of whether they can drink the cup – basically go through the same suffering Jesus will go through and be metaphorically baptized by fire like Christ will be. To this they reply yes. Jesus confirms that they will actually do so – little do they realize what this will mean. However, he can not appoint who will sit next to him, only God can. The other ten disciples when they hear of this arrogance of James and John become angry with them. Jesus turns this into a teaching moment turning the hierarchy of the world upside down. He says he who wants to be great must be a servant. In regard to James and John wanting first place in the seating Christ says who ever wishes to be first must be a slave of all. He hits them with a surprising sentence – something they didn’t expect. It is that he, the Son of Man, ca...
Read more