May 9, 2004 — 10:14 AM
The Christian as Agent of God's Love
Revelation 21:1-6
John 13:31-35
Today we gather in celebration. And, we join our voices with those throughout the ages who proclaim “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”
Our proclamation is one of joy, thanksgiving, and hope. And, at the same time, it is a prayer to be changed by the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In these events we see the ultimate power of love – a love that motivated one to give his life so that all could be saved.
What better day is there to gather in celebration of this amazing love than on Mother’s Day?
Now, I’m not one who is big on celebrating what my husband and I call “Hallmark Holidays.” But I believe it is right to pause now and then to remember those who have had big influences on our lives. And that is precisely what this day is for. It is a day to remember our own mothers, as well as all women who have played important roles in our lives. It is a day on which we give thanks to God for the gift of their lives.
On this day, we especially celebrate the self-giving love that is unique to mothers. Perhaps you, like I, have many memories of experiencing this love – cold-compresses on your forehead when you were ill; warm bowls of chicken soup when nothing else sounded good; a kiss on a boo-boo and a hug to make things all better. Mothers are the ones we turn to when we are sad or hurt. We know that we can count on their love to buoy us up and to make us feel better.
My mother is a pro at this. She not only cared and looked out for her three children, but she watched over our entire small town in Michigan. We lived in a rural village miles away from the nearest doctor. Since my mother is a nurse, she received many calls to give advice or to help people when they were ill. She would listen to people’s symptoms to help them determine if they should go to the hospital. She would take medicine to those unable to get around by themselves. She would help people remove their stitches or change bandages. And my list could go on.
But her care for the people of our town did not stop at their health care issues, she was also the town baker! Whenever she went to call on people who had been sick, she would take them something fresh out of the oven. She provided nourishment for people’s bodies and for their souls. She showed them that someone cared and would watch out for them.
She was, and continues to be, a true agent of God’s love in this world. I thank God for the love of my mother – a love she shares generously with everyone she meets.
Witnessing my mother’s love has helped me to catch a glimpse of the love that God has for all of creation. God, like a mother, continuously brings forth new life. God nurtures and cares for what God creates. God, as the writer of Revelation witnesses, wipes away tears and gives comfort to God’s people and provides water for those who are thirsty. God knows well the self-giving love of mothers. God, the creator of mothers, perfected it.
God revealed this love to creation in Jesus, who is “God with us.” Jesus’ life and ministry modeled a love that knew no boundaries; a love that would not be constrained by the artificial laws that humans had created. Time and again, Jesus ran into trouble with the religious authorities because love motivated him to ignore the laws; laws that had been established to set the Jewish people apart and keep them holy.
Even Jesus’ disciples had difficulties understanding the depth of his love and its life-changing nature. Again and again, Jesus told stories that seemed outrageous, trying to make his listeners understand the radical love that is the very being of God. Again and again, Jesus acted in shocking ways trying to shake the people out of their normal ways of thinking. And yet, each time he was met with misunderstanding and confusion.
Jesus did one such shocking act just prior to giving the “new commandment” that we read about this morning. Jesus and his disciples had gathered together for a meal. But before the meal began, Jesus stopped and washed his disciples’ feet. This was no typical act. We know this from Peter’s reaction. “You will never wash my feet,” he said. In the society of Jesus’ time, the master or the teacher was highly esteemed. It was understood that such a one should never bend down and humiliate himself by doing this lowly service. But Jesus did. And, he explained, he would do even more. He would give his very life for those who believed in him.
Following this incredible proclamation, Jesus gives his disciples the “new commandment”: “love one another just as I have loved you.” But that commandment didn’t really sound all that new. After all, the commandment to love God and to love neighbor had been a part of the Jewish understanding since the beginning of their covenant with God. When Jesus was asked to summarize the law, he did so by reminding his listeners to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
On the surface, it didn’t seem like Jesus was saying anything new. But the love he was advocating is, in fact, very different – it is incarnational (shown in the life of Jesus); it is self-giving; it is humble; it wants wholeness and health for all of creation.
This love is so different from that of the world, Jesus explains, that if his disciples practice this love, they will stick out. People will know that they are different. People will know that they are followers of Jesus. They will be bound together in community by this love.
Jesus’ life and ministry marked the beginning of God’s kingdom breaking into the world. God no longer was distanced from creation; God was now a part of creation. By becoming part of what God had created, God could offer the means of salvation – the way for humanity to get into a right relationship with God.
But Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection were just that – a beginning. He taught his disciples that they must continue the work that he had begun. He taught them that they would do even greater things than he had done. And he taught them that they should live as a community of people whose love was a model of God’s kingdom to all who saw it.
Many look at the Christian church today and see anything but a loving community modeling God’s kingdom. With all the in-fighting and dividing of churches into ever more denominations, Christians do not stand out from the world because of their love. With all the arguing over who has the right understanding of God’s Word for us today, it’s hard to see how Christians are any different from the world in which we live.
We have lost sight of Jesus’ “new commandment” to love in a self-giving way; to love in humility; to love even when it means great personal sacrifice. This is not a love that seeks to be proven right. It is not a love that expects reward. It is simply love, given freely, in hopes that the other may be whole and complete.
We have become so concerned with our own cares and concerns. We have lost sight of God’s call to live as a community that stands as a beacon to the world. We do not let God’s love shine through our lives. We take God’s love and hold onto it as if we have some special claim to it. We are reticent to share it with others because that would mean sharing of our very selves.
Jesus’ new commandment to his disciples called them to live in community. This community was to be but a glimpse of the ideal community that is God’s goal for all of creation. John in the book of Revelation gives a vivid description of what that final community – the new heaven and new earth – will be like.
Within this new setting will be the new Jerusalem – the city where God will dwell with God’s people. Here, God will do away with everything that robs creation of wholeness. Here, life will be joyful, vibrant, and full. Listen again to John’s description:
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more
for the first things have passed away.”
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”
As we continue the joyous celebration of Easter, we are reminded of our Christian calling to make ourselves known as Christ’s followers by our love. We are called to imagine a world in which the desire for the wholeness of all creation takes precedence. God is making all things new, including our hearts, and we should live as examples of God’s life-changing love.
Try to imagine a world where God’s shalom-seeking love rules. Can you see it? It is a place where no one’s needs go unmet. No one is left looking for a safe place to sleep. No one is forced to scrounge for a morsel of food to feed an aching stomach. No one is forced to choose between paying for medication and paying for the day’s meal. No one is denied basic human rights. No one will be seen as greater or lesser because we are all equal in God’s sight.
Can you imagine that day? God calls us to do just that. Not only are we to imagine that it is possible for this world to exist. We are to expect it. We are to work alongside God to make it a reality. God calls us to be agents of God’s love. We are called to continue the work that Jesus began. We are to expect that we can and will do even greater things than he.
But it is hard to see ourselves in this role. How can we dare to think that we could do greater things that Jesus did? We are merely human beings struggling to know God and to live in joyful response to God’s generous, grace-filled love. How could we ever be agents of God’s love in the world?
Ann Weems expresses the difficulty of understanding our calling in her poem “God’s Holy People.”
Here we are, you and I, called to be God’s Holy People.
You say you’re not the holy type, but I’m not talking about holier-than-thou.
I’m not talking about religious ritual, and the last thing I mean is self-righteousness!
Jesus chastised the self-righteous, the ones who spent their days doing religious things;
the ones who spent so much time in religious ritual that they didn’t have time for tenderheartedness.
I’m not talking about them; I’m talking about us.
I’m talking about paying attention to the things Jesus taught people, ordinary people, people like you, people like me.
Look at the disciples: ordinary people called to follow, called to be God’s Holy People, called to live in this world with tender hearts.
Live holy lives…impossible?
Is anything impossible to God?
That old woman Sarah thought it impossible to have a child…
The lepers thought it impossible to be healed…
The disciples thought it impossible to feed five thousand with two loaves and five fishes…
Mary and Martha thought it impossible that their brother Lazarus was alive…
The lame thought it impossible to walk…
The blind thought it impossible to see…
Here we are, ordinary people, called to be the Holy People of God.
If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, see and hear God’s holiness in your life.
We are called to live in the realm of expectation – expecting that we are the Holy People of God; that we can be agents of God’s love; that our lives can help bring about God’s kingdom of wholeness and health for everyone. When we are open to these possibilities, we will open ourselves to the possibility of being a community that is distinguished by our love – God’s love.
God is the God of mystery who can use every one of us to bring about God’s kingdom. Believe in God’s power and be open to God’s calling.
