LOVE --- PART 2

IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
In a sinful and suffering world, Yeshua demonstrated His Divine Love through His compassion and His acts of healing for people in distress. He also showed great concern for people who were alienated and in despair. Because of this, the Kingdom Yeshua spoke about offered good news to the poor, captives, blind and the oppressed -- Matthew 11:2-5, Luke 4:18. In addition, the attitude Yeshua had toward people who were despised or grieving assured them of forgiveness and a welcome return to YHVH’s family -- Luke 15. Yeshua's forgiveness was free and He only required people to accept it by being repentant and faithful. In addition, the love Yeshua taught carries its own obligations. People who want to practice the believers love may love YHVH and love others in the same way Elohim does -- Matthew 5:44-48. The first and greatest Commandment in YHVH’s Law is -- You shall love YHVH Elohim... And a second is like it; You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two Commandments depend all the Law and the prophets -- Matthew 22:35-40; see also Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5. The first Commandment is not identical with, lost in or simply fulfilled by the second Commandment. These Commands are separate Laws. Yeshua's ideas about loving YHVH are clearly illustrated by His own habits of public worship, private prayer and absolute obedience to YHVH’s will. Love for one’s neighbour is not specifically defined anywhere, but there are numerous examples of what it is. In the parable of the good Samaritan, Yeshua shows that a -- neighbour -- is anyone near enough to help and love involved whatever service that neighbour’s situation demanded. The parable of the sheep and goats shows that love includes feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and people in prison. And in Yeshua's life, we learn that love heals, teaches, defends people who are despised, grants forgiveness and comforts people in pain. We are to love others as He has loved us. This type of love does good works without expecting anything in return, never returns evil with evil and practices thoughtful understanding that tempers judgment. To Yeshua, the worst type of sin was the refusal to love. This included the refusal to do good, ignoring destitute people at one’s own gate and withholding forgiveness. Lovelessness was made worse by self-righteousness and ignoring other people’s distress in order to preserve a petty ritual or regulation. In the end, Yeshua said that obedience to the Law of love will determine each person’s eternal destiny -- Matthew 25:31-46.

IN THE WRITINGS OF PAUL
The apostles who helped start the first church quickly understood the revolutionary idea that love is enough. Paul’s declaration that love fulfils the entire Law is almost a straight quotation from Yeshua. His explaining of various Commandments against adultery, killing, stealing and coveting is summarized in loving, because love can do no wrong to a neighbour -- Romans 13:8-10. Ephesians 4:25-5:2; makes the same point in another way. In this passage, all bitterness, anger, lying, stealing, slander and malice are to be replaced by tenderness, forgiveness, kindness and love. For Paul, love is -- the Law of Moshiach -- and it is supreme and sufficient -- Galatians 5:14 and Galatians 6:2. Paul also writes that the only thing that AVAILS in believers is -- faith working through love -- Galatians 5:6. He insists that the supreme expression of Ruach HaKodesh’s work that all believers should desire is -- the more excellent way -- of love -- 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3, Romans 5:5 and Galatians 5:22. In the most famous passage about love in Scripture, Paul contrasts love with five other expressions of religious belief that the people in Corinth greatly wanted. Paul shows that each of these expressions is nothing without love -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. He ends the chapter by comparing love with faith and hope, the other enduring elements of believers and he says love is the greatest of all. Paul’s description of love in action includes acts of mercy, hospitality, avoiding revenge, restoring and supporting other people, kindness, forgiveness, encouragement and withholding criticism. The list is almost endless. Briefly, love does no harm and never neglects doing good for others. It is YHVH’s Law. According to Paul, Elohim showed His Love for us by sending Yeshua to die for our sins. Because of His Great Love, He granted us eternal life through Yeshua Moshiach. We live in that love, we conquer evil with that love and nothing can separate us from that love -- Romans 5:8, 8:32-39, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 2:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:16 and Titus 3:4-5. Our love reflects the love first -- poured into our hearts -- Romans 5:5 and it is directed toward Yeshua Moshiach -- 1 Corinthians 7:1, 16:22 and Ephesians 6:24 -- and toward people whom we love for Yeshua's sake.

IN THE WRITINGS OF JOHN
What John thought about and wrote down forms a very crucial part of the Scripture's teaching about love. For John, love was the foundation of everything that had happened when he wrote, -- YHVH so loved the world -- John 3:16, 16:27 and 17:23. The only way we know about love at all is because Moshiach laid down His life for us -- 1 John 3:16. Love is the fundamental belief of all believers because YHVH Himself is love -- John 4:8 and 16:1. We know this by Yeshua's coming to earth and by His death on the cross -- 1 John 4:9-10. Because of these things, we know the love Elohim has for us and believe that love itself is divine. It follows that -- he who loves is born of Elohim. He who does not love does not know YHVH. Such a person -- is in the darkness, -- is not of YHVH and -- remains in death. No one has ever seen YHVH, but -- if we love... YHVH abides in us and we are able to have a close relationship with Him. YHVH’s Love came before anything else. If we love at all, it is -- because He first loved us. Our love is directed first toward YHVH and John writes quite a bit about what our love of Elohim involves. It demands that we -- do not love the world, -- that we -- keep His Word AND His Commandments, -- and that we love our fellow believing brothers and sisters. We received this Commandment from Moshiach, -- that he who loves Elohim should love his brother also, -- for -- if YHVH so Loved us, we also ought to love one another. In his writings in the Scriptures, John stressed the importance of duty and love for others in our love for Elohim. Indeed, if one closes his heart against his brother or sister, -- how does Elohim’s Love abide in him? Believers should be loving to all people -- 2 Peter 1:7. John insists that Elohim Loved the whole world -- John 3:16, 1 John 2:2 and 1 John 4:14. In addition, if believers cannot love each other, there is no way it will flourish outside of the church -- 1 John 3:18. John believed that the Commandment to love YHVH and people was the most important aspect of the true believers life. Because of this, he does not go into detail about the many different expressions of love. When John describes love in action, he recalls Yeshua’s Words about -- KEEPING COMMANDMENTS -- and -- laying down life -- in sacrifice -- John 15:10, 13 and 1 John 3:16. He also mentions how love notices a brother’s need and shares what he has to help anyone in need -- 3:17. As brief as these expressions are, they embody the very heart of believers love. John believed that love was a real thing and it could not be something easy or sentimental. The believers idea of love can only be fulfilled within a group of believers who fellowship together. In Scripture, love is not an abstract idea. Love is rooted in Elohim’s Being and it is expressed in Yeshua's coming to earth and His death on the cross. All believers experience YHVH’s love when they come to believe in Yeshua and they practice this type of love among themselves. Because YHVH is love, it is central, essential and indispensable to the believers life.