Love Well

The longest—and simplest—love letter ever written was the work of a Parisan painter named Marcel de Leclure in 1875. The addressed was Magdalene de Villalore, his aristocratic light of love. The missive contained the phrase “jevous aime” “I Love You” 1,875,000 times—a thousand times the calendar years of the date.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3192 World’s Longest Kiss

According to the news, two high school students, from Hanover in West Germany set an unusual world record: for the longest kiss.

The boy, aged 19, and his 16-year-old girlfriend, stayed in a clinch for 105 minutes and 48 seconds, beating by 10 minutes the record set by a British couple.

The kiss ended when the duo were on a point of passing out for lack of oxygen.

We read of love, we hear of love, we even see love expressed in uniting in marriage like this:

Princess Bride Clip

Although some can relate to the longest love letter the longest kiss, and the longest intro to a wedding, we know that true love involves much more than this.

Turn with me please to Matthew 22:37-40

Context:

Leading up to this passage, in chapter 21 of Matthew you have Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the account when He clears the temple of those who were selling and making unethical profit. Within the same chapter, the chief priests and elders of the Jewish religion come questioning the authority of Jesus trying to entangle Him in His speech.

Jesus responds in parables, addressing their heart issue without them knowing it. He was questioned by the chief priest, the elders, and then the sadducees who didn’t believe in bodily resurrection holding to the Pentateuch (first 5 books of OT).

Pick up in vv. 34-36

There was an ongoing attempt to prioritize the commandments. Their debates considered which laws were “Light” and which ones were “Heavy”.

Just like our culture.

Ex: “White Lies” “Homosexuality vs. Heterosexuality”

However Jesus responds:

Read vv. 37-40

In a beautiful way, Jesus summarizes man’s obligation to God and others - love. Through love we are to approach God, and in love we are to approach one another.

1. Love God (vv. 37-38)

In these verses we see Jesus citing Deuteronomy 6:5. He mentions “first and greatest” in v. 38, because it was one of the best known commands in the Jewish culture because it was part of the Shema - the ancient prayer recited by Jews twice every day.

ἀγαπάω (agapaō) unconditional love

Our love for God should be outside of the conditions of our day.

Why are we to love God?

1 John 4:10 NKJV

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:19 NKJV

We love Him because He first loved us.

Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How are we to love God?

John 14:15 NKJV

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Our love is to be expressed in action based on obedience to God’s Word.

Our unconditional love is to be directed toward God with:

A. With all of our Heart - Emotional Nature (feelings)

B. With all of our Soul - Volitional Nature (will)

C. With all of our Mind - Intellectual Nature (thoughts)

D. With all of our Strength (Mark 12:30) - Physical Nature (actions)

Our love is to be directed in totality, not partiality!

Our unconditional obedience is shown through bringing our feelings, will, thoughts, and actions under the authority of God, because of Who He Is and What He Has Done.

It is expressed in the heart affirming statement:

God, I will love you with all of me.

feelings - will - thoughts - actions

They all come under Your authority!

But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He makes a similar statement transitioning from our vertical relationship to our horizontal ones.

2. Love People (vv. 39)

In referencing Leviticus 19:18, Jesus says our love should be unconditional toward God, and likewise, toward others.

He said emphasized this type of love back in:

Matthew 7:12 NKJV

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Our love toward others is to be like our love of self!

A. Loving people is not always natural

B. Loving people is not always easy

C. Loving people is not always fun

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3208 Epigram on Love

It is no chore for me to love the whole world. My only real problem is my neighbor next door.

But as a believer in obedience to the commands of Jesus, we are to love - outside of conditions - because that’s how God loves us.

Paul said it this way:

Romans 12:9–10 NKJV

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

Earlier we affirmed our hearts prayer in the words: “God, I will love you with all of me.”

That’s our vertical affirmation.

Our Horizontal affirmation can be expressed in these words:

Friend, I will love you because God loves me.

at home, at work, in the community - say it with me.

Believer’s Bible Commentary K. The Great Commandment (22:34–40)

We should frequently ponder the words, “love your neighbor as yourself.” We should think of how very much we do love ourselves, of how much of our activity centers around the care and comfort of self. Then we should try to imagine what it would be like if we showered that love on our neighbors. Then we should do it. Such behavior is not natural; it is supernatural. Only those who have been born again can do it, and then only by allowing Christ to do it through them.

Jesus said in verse 40 that on these two - our love for God and our love for people hangs all the law and the prophets. They don’t replace the OT law and prophets but rather fulfill them.

As followers of Christ, may this week be led by love toward God and others.

God, I will love you with all of me.

Person, I will love you because God loves me.

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