The gospel of Christ is very counter-cultural and calls for counter-cultural living.
The hallmark of Christian living is love, and love is exactly what is lacking in our world today.
When the Apostle wrote to the Christians in Colossae, he did not thank God for their humility, giftedness, or evangelistic zeal, but thanked God for their love for others. Cf. Colossians 1:4
Christian love is the topic of the sixth sermon in the First Book of Homilies.
The sermon begins by stating the importance of love.
“Of all the things that are good to be taught to Christian people, there is nothing more necessary to be spoken about and daily recalled than love.1”
He author then warns of the congregations not to be deluded by contemporary definitions of love that will only produce self-congratulation.
“Almost everyone thinks of themselves as loving, in their own way, and however detestable their life may be, to both God and people, they persuade themselves that they still have such love. Therefore, you shall hear now a true and plain description of love, not out of human imagination but from the very words and example of our Saviour Jesus Christ. In this description, everyone may consider themselves (as in a mirror), and see plainly without error whether they are truly loving, or not.”
Love for God is the first and foremost of the Christian’s love, but it doesn’t end there. Christians are also called to love those who do not love them.
“For charity is also to love everyone, good and evil, friend and foe, and whatever cause is given to the contrary, nevertheless to bear good will to everyone. Love is to behave ourselves well towards others in words as well as in all our outward acts and deeds. For this is what Christ himself taught, and also how he himself lived.”
Love for Enemies
Christian living is counter-cultural because it calls us to a love that is fundamentally different to the world’s.
“And if we do otherwise, he says, we are no better than the Pharisees, tax collectors, and unbelievers, and shall have our reward with them—that is, to be shut out from the number of God’s chosen children, and from his everlasting inheritance in heaven.”
“Furthermore, we must consider that to love our friends is no more than thieves, adulterers, murderers, and all wicked people do. Jews, Muslims, non-believers, and even all brute beasts love those who are their friends, those from whom they earn their living, or get any other benefits. But to love enemies is the proper condition of those who are the children of God, the disciples and followers of Christ. The disobedient and corrupt nature of people ponders deeply and repeatedly the offence and displeasure done to them by their enemies, and thinks it an intolerable burden to be bound to love those who hate them.”
The sermon reminds us that we can love and forgive others because God loves and forgives us.
“If we wish to have God’s forgiveness, there is no other remedy but to forgive the offences done to us, which are very small in comparison to our offences against God.”
Jesus loved his enemies
The sermon upholds Jesus as our great example of loving others.
“He loved not only his friends, but also his enemies who (in their hearts) nursed an exceedingly great hatred against him, and with their tongues spoke all evil about him, and in their acts and deeds pursued him with all their might and power, even to death. Yet despite all this, he did not withdraw his favour from them, but still loved them, preached to them in love, rebuked their false doctrine, their wicked living, and did good to them, patiently enduring whatever they spoke or did against him. When they gave him evil words, he gave no evil in return. When they struck him, he did not strike them back. And when he suffered death, he did not slay them, nor threaten them, but prayed for them, and referred all things to his Father’s will.”
Tough love
Love not only cherishes but also corrects and rebukes.
“The other role of love is to rebuke, correct, and punish vice, without regard for people’s position or status, and is only to be used against those who are evil, and criminals or evildoers. It is as much the role of love to rebuke, punish, and correct those who are evil, as it is to cherish and reward those who are good and innocent.”
“Every loving father corrects his natural son when he does something wrong, or else he does not love him. In the same way, all governors of realms, countries, towns, and houses should lovingly correct those under their governance who are offenders, and cherish those who live innocently—if they have any respect to God and their office, or love for those they govern.”
Jesus at times corrected and rebuked those who opposed him, but always in love and concern not in hatred or malice.
Love, especially for those in leadership, may even demand that they exclude or suspend individuals.
“And love requires such evil people, who are great offenders against God and the commonwealth, to be cut from the body of the commonwealth, lest they corrupt other good and honest persons, like a good surgeon cuts away a rotten and festering limb because of the love they have for the whole body, lest it infect other limbs adjoining it.“
The sermon ends with this great love challenge:
“Therefore, note well this one short lesson: that by true Christian love, God ought to be loved above all, and all people ought to be loved too—good and evil, friend and foe. And we ought to do good to all, as we can: those who are good we ought to love, to encourage, and to cherish because they are good; and those who are evil we ought of love to procure and seek their correction and due punishment, so that they may by this either be brought to goodness, or at least that God and the commonwealth may be less hurt and offended.”
How are we doing with our love? This is another sermon that we need to hear today.
- The actual word used is “charity” but what it means is what we understand in the 21C understand as love. ↩︎
All extracts are taken from: Gatiss, Lee. The First Book of Homilies: The Church of England’s Official Sermons in Modern English. Lost Coin Press for Church Society. Kindle Edition.
Any comments or queries can be sent to andre@christchurchtygerberg.org.za