#29 Top 40 New Testament Passages: We know Love in This (1st John 3:16)
We all are familiar with John 3:16, the gospel in a sentence. Traditionally speaking, the youngest of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, John the brother of James, a son of Zebedee, and Galilean fisherman, wrote 5 of the New Testament books. John wrote one gospel narrative on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, three letters to churches of Jesus Christ, and one apocalypse. The apocalypse is a revealing of hidden truths and things to come. The second and third letter of John are only one chapter, some of the shorted books in the Bible. 2nd John is only 13 verses in length. 3rd John is 24 verses long. Biblical scholars are not in full agreement that John wrote the apocalypse, because the style of writing is so different. And the letters attributed to John are thought, by some scholars, to be the work of disciples who wrote in John's name.
Whatever the case for authorship, John's three letters are canonized by the Church as scripture. These letters speak something authoritative about the life of disciples and of the Church. 1st John has the distinction of defining love (agape). Love is Jesus Christ surrendering his life for our sake. Love is laying down your life for others.
Jesus said in John's gospel,
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)
What does it mean to lay down your life for another? We know of battlefield heroics when a soldier gives his life to save his comrades. Private Emmanuel Mensah was a first generation immigrant, a soldier, and a New Yorker. He gave his life rescuing his neighbors in the Brsnx fire on December 28, 2018. He escaped the apartment building fire, but returned to the burning building and rescued at least three others before he himself died in the fire. Does John and Jesus both mean we are to die for others, like the heroic soldier?
We may be presented such opportunities in life, moments where heroism is called for. You will know then what you are to do. But in general Christ is calling us to be other-oriented. Laying down your life is to stop being self-centered and to become other-centered.
Dying to self is crucial to love. This doesn't mean to hate yourself, for then you would not be freed to love others. No we must love ourselves in the knowledge that God loves us unconditionally and gave up His Son for us. There is a fine line between love of self and narcissism. Jesus spoke of this when he chastised Peter for thinking in worldly ways. Jesus told the disciples he would suffer and die in Jerusalem, but on the third day rise again. Peter could not hear it. He said that such a thing will never happen to Jesus.
He then turned to the others and said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? (Matthew 16:24-26)
The wisdom in laying down your life for the sake of others is that were are freed to love selflessly. When we are focused on our own needs, we are not free to love. Our actions become a means to meet our own needs. How often do we do good deeds for others so that we can feel good about ourselves? Jesus remarks that our worries in this life do nothing to add to our lives, so why not stop worrying? (Matthews 6:27, 33-34) Life is more than possessions. (Luke 12:15) If we grasp and scheme and struggle to stay on top of the rat race, we will not be free to love. In fact, we may enjoy wealth and leisure, but miss the true prize, eternal life.
But when we trust that God will care for our needs, we can stop fussing and worrying over personal needs. We can be free to concern ourselves with the needs of others. Right now during this health pandemic, are you concerned only for yourself and your family? Widen your concern for those who live alone and have no one looking after them. Widen your concern for those who struggle financially. Widen you concern for those who are at risk like health care workers, the elderly, and those who live in shelters.
Lay down your personal concerns, but don't be reckless. Shift your concern to your neighbors, friends, distant relations, coworkers and other people with whom you associate in the wider community. Smile when you are at the grocery. Pray for the person six feet in front of yo in the check out lane. Pray for the cashier who cannot stay at home during this crisis. Pray for truckers who cannot stay home. Pray for those who are out of work because of the current quarantine. Pick up the phone and call people to encourage them. ZOOM is very popular right now for video conferencing. Social networks are teeming with people trying to encourage one another. Get our of your head. Get into another's heart.
So laying down you life for others means a shift in attitude. Paul encourages the Church to have the attitude that was in Jesus.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:3-8)
In your mind place the image of Jesus dying on the cross for you, so that you can live free of sin, fearful worrying, and faithlessness. And then chose to love others as Jesus loved you and give his life for you. Trust that by denying yourself and carrying your own cross, you too will share in Christ's glory. God will provide what is needed along your faithful trek. Have compassion for others and share in their burdens and struggles, helping where you can.
John wrote to the Church to have love for one another. By loving selflessly like Jesus, the Church will be strong and united, and the world we know the truth that God so loves the world.
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