Category: Love One Another

“Carrying Each Other’s Cross?”

Was our Lord Jesus modeling for us the opportunity for us to carry someone else’s cross? As I read the account of Simon of Cyrene, he appeared to be forced into service by the Roman soldiers because the Lord Jesus could no longer carry His cross. 

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Mark 15:21NIV84 emphasis added; cf.; cf Mt. 27:32 and Luke 23:26). 

Now for certain, our Lord was much too weak to continue to carry His cross, so Simon was “enlisted” to help. Our Lord gave no protest. He accepted the help.

Again, is it possible our Lord was modeling for us helping our brothers and sisters carry their own cross? We are to pick up and carry our cross daily (Lk. 9:23), but maybe there are some days we do not have the strength to carry our daily cross, and we need the help of others to carry it? 

In the past I have taught Grief Relief Seminars in which I have expressed the reality of this ministry: When someone’s life is upended through a tragedy or death or some crisis, to bring the grieving relief, it requires upending our lives to help someone whose life has been…upended!

Is this what Simon of Cyrene was doing? Even though he was “forced” to carry the Lord’s cross, are we also to carry each other’s cross, especially when it becomes too heavy for them? 

And what’s even more fascinating, the Lord Jesus “let” Simon help. How many times have I resisted letting someone help me carry my cross? But what a marvel!?! We help carry each other’s crosses when “they” cannot! Helping carry someone’s cross is indeed a ministry of the Body of Christ to one another. It is fulfilling the “New Command” isn’t it? “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:35)

I’m curious, is this what the Apostle Paul means in Colossians 1:24–29?

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me. (NIV84)

Wow! I get to practice carrying someone else’s cross! And I have a choice to become embittered, filled with rage, envy, and resentment…. Or, I can choose to “rejoice in what was suffered for you [the one whose cross I help carry]!” What a marvel: this Mystery of Cross-Carrying.

Peace,

Pastor Mike

“Have a Hard Time Loving?”

In the past decade or so, it has become rather popular to say, “I love you,” when we part with Loved ones. I do not want to challenge the sincerity of the one saying this, but I do want us to challenge ourselves….

Do we? Do we Love them? Or are we just caught up in a culture of saying something we “kind of” mean? 

So in this Month of Love, I’d like us to truly inventory our Love for our Loved ones (and for Jesus, too, by the way). I would like us to see how much we are willing to Love our Lord Jesus and each other as He has Loved us.

I’d like us to Love as smooth as S.I.L.C.

Sacrifice, but don’t complain.

Initiate, but don’t impose.

Listen, but don’t assume.

Care, but don’t possess

 If we but yield to the Lord Jesus to have Him do these simple Love-Acts of Kindness in and through us, we would be more than modeling the Love we profess at each parting…, and we will be manifesting the Lord’s divine Love of  Grace….

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. –1 John 4:16-18 (NIV84)

Peace,

Pastor Mike

“Let Us Love One Another”

Our Lord’s most intimate teaching and, in essence, His last “Command,” is found in what is commonly called the Upper Room Discourse. He is about to be savagely treated, but He made time to wash His disciples’ feet, eat with them, and encourage them:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-45 NIV84)

The Son of Thunder, who has become the Beloved Disciple, echoes this in 1 John 4:7-8:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7–8 NIV84).

And this Love is not syrupy, but substantial: Unconditional, Sacrificial and Other Centered:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13:4-7 NIV84).

So why is Loving one another so important? One simple answer is because the world is going to hate us. It hated Jesus, so why are we so surprised (see John 15:18)? Our Lord is telling us, “You are all you have so try to get along.” How are we doing?

Peace,

Pastor Mike