Agape (God’s love), who can understand it

[Mark Dohle]

Agape (God’s love), who can understand it
(Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,)

A love revealed by God

Jesus allowed tragedy to destroy him,
injustice overcame His love,
power made his teaching a mockery
and so He died and like the fate of all,
was buried.

Yet this led to something so glorious
that the human mind is still baffled
on how a man destroyed, overcome,
could forgive those who ‘destroyed’ him
and in that conquered all though
a loved revealed by God (Agape)​

Agape is a Christian term used by Jesus to describe God’s love for us. He shows us what this love of God is by his teaching and commandments. For instance, human love is for the most part conditional, because it is based either on instinct or on need. We love another because we need them; we also want them to respond to us. If there is no response the relationship will most likely die, or become somewhat of an obsession. I would think that parental love is the closest love to being unconditional that you can get. A child can hurt their parents, reject them, disrespect them and be contemptuous, yet the parent will still love the child. I think that goes beyond instinct, but is a love that will pour itself out for the well being of the child. However, being human, finite, it is possible for there to be a time when that love can end if the pain and hurt become too great. It happens, though if the parent is a good parent, this is rare. We have our limits if left to ourselves.

What about a love that never stops, pulls back or becomes enraged over how one responds. For me that is beyond comprehension, yet the term ‘Agape’ does point to that kind of love. Jesus tried to get us to understand by his teaching, as well as how he related to others. For the most part he was gentle, kind and compassionate with others. He was also truthful and never lied or misleads anyone. He constantly called others to conversion and the turning away from what is destructive in their lives, which would be sin.

Our lives if spent in not loving others the way God wants us to only leads to more pain, death and destruction. He wants us to try another way. For instance the way he taught us how we should deal with anger.

The Sermon on the Mount is not sentimental at all but seeks to show us how destructive anger really is, for it is so common that its effects are overlooked. The importance of being reconciled is shown to us its great importance. Our relationships with others cannot be separated from our relationship with our Creator. We are responsible, we are not victims. When we give in to our anger and seek revenge, we are allowing evil to plant a seed in our hearts.

My heart stills has seeds of ‘self destruction’ in it and I guess one of my greatness challenges is allow grace to work its healing in my often hard heart. It is a matter of going forward in hope, knowing that it is grace, the life of Christ Jesus as he grows in my heart that brings healing, as well as the grace to not be afraid of the struggle.

The reality of sin is often denied by many. Even those of us who believe in ‘sin’, my-self included (speaking for my-self than anyone else) find it easy to down play the harm it does not only to the one lusting, but to those who are lusted after. It is easy to use each other, to manipulate and abuse when lust takes over. It all begins with a thought, then the thought is entertained and it can lead to an event that can have wide ranging consequences.

To reduce another human being to the level of an object is an act against one of God’s beloved children. Sex is not a sport, it can bring forth bitter fruit, in fact it does. The sex trade is a gross example. The STD’s, as well as abortion are often the fruit of living a life that believes that ‘sex is for fun’. Not understanding that when sex becomes a commodity, those in the trade are often forced into it, costing many lives.

Yet Jesus tells us, that it is the opposite of any kind of love when people are reduced to a function, or to a thing. It wounds the soul deeply, both the perpetrator as well as the victim. So to treat others with true dignity is a very difficult road to travel, yet one we are asked, no, commanded by the Lord to do so.

In dealing with evil, the Sermon on the Mount is at its most difficult. I am stymied by this to tell you the truth, yet it is something that needs to be studied, pondered and prayed over. Yet the normal way of dealing with ‘evil’ has never worked and in actuality seems to be getting worse as time moves on. Our sense of justice is often based on ‘revenge’, getting back, and eye for an eye sort of thing. When in fact, true Justice is impossible in this world and perhaps one of the most painful facts that we have to face…to right the scales can’t happen when we use violence to fight violence. Though very understandable and I can easily see myself doing just that. My heart still struggles with the love demanded of Jesus from all of us. It also brings to full consciousness our need of the life of Jesus Christ in our hearts to bring this to full bloom.

When Jesus asks us to love our enemies, it is here that it is possible to see into the inner life of God. ‘Love of enemies”! Is Jesus asking us to become something that is not actually lived fully by God? No. He is showing us how God relates to mankind; he loves all, those who hate him and those who love him. He allows the rain to fall on the good as well as the evil. In order to be perfect, we must love like the Father loves. This kind of teaching by the Lord should bring us to our knees, to the understanding that the human heart by itself, without ‘Agape’ is impossible. The only way I can deal with this is to consciously pray for those that I find unlovable, hard to deal with and may even feel emotions of hatred.

We are told not to judge for a reason. We really can’t, though we try, or I do. When I judge someone else and have the grace to grow in understanding of their inner life, their past, their family situation, I usually find my judgments harsh, wrong and in the end, hurtful to myself just as much as it is to my neighbor.

Jesus asks us to give to the needy, to love the outcasts, to lend without worry about getting anything back etc. Yet in all of this Jesus is showing us something about how God love us. I often find it mind boggling this Love of God. In 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most powerful verses that show us what God mercy and love is like. We are commanded to become like the Father, in perfect love.

God’s love is of a nature that goes beyond our understanding. Perhaps it is because our loving Father sees all, understands all and loves all. What am I saying? Well, perhaps many of our ideas of God are really idols that we create for ourselves. We can create God in our own image and likeness, instead of allowing Him to make us into His. How God sees and responds is always right, true and just. I do believe that ‘I’ on the other hand am in no way close to that. So the death to self has a lot to do with allowing the love of God (Agape) to transform our hearts, relationships and how we see the world. Easy is it not? Well no, death to self is a daily walk with the Lord who by his grace, keeps us on the road to the cross, to die to self and to rise in love with Christ Jesus for the eternal dance within the Holy Trinity.—Br.Md