Our Father, forgive us…as we forgive: Love
Over the Sundays in Lent, we have been looking at various key verses in the Lord’s Prayer and using the set readings are allowing them to suggest to us various key themes of the Christian faith. Last week it was HOPE. This week it is LOVE. Quite appropriate for Mothering Sunday.
Verse 12 in the Colossians passage tells us straight away what love is. ‘Therefore as God’s chosen people holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion (tender heartedness), kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. For we are called to peace and are to be thankful.’ That’s it – clear instructions on what we should do. Easy to follow. Now go out and do it. End of sermon! You wish.
Why did Paul feel the need to say these words? The list is straight forward enough; everything on that list is what we would like people to do to us and visa versa. Paul knew that there were battles going on within the people of Colosse. There was battling the cults – he knew that for everything worthwhile, there exists a counterfeit - mystery religion was beginning to infiltrate the town and Paul argued firmly, asserting that Christ is the complete expression of the mystery of God and nothing else. He told of the Supremacy of Christ, gave them rules for Holy living and showed them they could have freedom from Human regulations through Life with Christ. Paul knew the battles of the inner heart and gave instructions on how to live a Life with Christ which gave freedom. When you think about it, the inner heart of today is not much better than that of two thousand years ago.
We struggle to love, to forgive, to show kindness, to be patient, especially when we have been wronged. Its easier to pick out the bits of the bible we can do and not so easy to do the things we know we should when it goes against the grain; but Paul was adamant. He said ‘remember who you are: God’s chosen people, holy and dearly beloved’. Remember ‘election’ no longer means just for the Jews, but also includes all who trust in Jesus. You are to ‘clothe yourself’ – take responsibility for how your present yourself. The way we do this is to be so full of these inner qualities that they can be seen on the outside, like well-fitting and attractive clothing.
Paul says towards the needy, we should show compassion; respond to the misery of others. This is in opposition to the normal inclination – we don’t want to be seen with the outcasts, marginalised, the hurting, the drug addicts, the drunks, and the young people being a nuisance. Do we?
Towards our brother and sister, we should show kindness. What about when they let us down, or we feel they should return that kindness?
Towards leaders, whoever they might be, at work, in church, politicians, police, we should show humility (we should show modesty, lack arrogance, have an honest assessment of ourselves, and be willing to submit).
Towards those who have injured us, we should show gentleness (meekness, and refusal to get back at them) and -
Towards those who disappoint us, we should show patience (we should refuse to give up on them). And on top of these we should bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against each other. We should tolerate others’ shortcoming and forgive as Jesus has forgiven us. This also includes forgiveness for those who did something we may have disagreed with, or who were unfaithful to the church. And we must learn to forgive OURSELVES. So often forbearance and forgiveness is something which is in short supply – someone complains against the manager, the manager complains against the waitress, other workers take sides and complain against each other and against the shop owner who doesn’t solve the problem – forgetting to put on the clothes He has provided, we go around in rags.
And when we have put on all these, we need to cover them with the overcoat of love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Without love, kindness, forgiveness and all the rest are nothing, just empty gestures. Paul said ‘the greatest of these is love’ and Jesus taught us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love one another.
We should submit to the rule of peace. Whether it is in marriage, within the family, at work, in church, we should stop the bickering and back biting and ask the question, ‘is this worth losing peace over’? The road to unity in the workplace, governments or church must include the acceptance of the leader the Lord has provided.
Paul goes on to say in verse 16 that the two most important ingredients of the Christian gatherings – church services – is listening to God’s word, and singing songs with thanksgiving, There needs to be a balance between instruction and admonition. The ‘word of Christ’ can refer to the words about Christ, or the words spoken by Christ. We should never stop learning about Christ, and never stop listening to Christ for the word ‘richly’ means ‘abundantly’. That this word is to ‘dwell in’ us means that it should take up residence, be at home in, be welcome in, be comfortable in, and allow His word to become our primary influence for good. In other words, we must live with the Word every day.
Notice that this is what we do for one another – we speak the word of Christ with each other, and we sing songs for the benefit of one another. Church is not just about getting it from the ‘front’. Each of us has a well, and each of us has a bucket with which to draw out water for others to drink.
Everything should be done with the awareness of His oversight, and to bring credit to His name. ‘In the Name of Jesus’ is a set of words often said to bring His power to bear on a situation, in some cases almost used as a magical formula. But there is more than that. It is to suggest that we do everything to give honour to His name. ‘everything’ includes what we say –in words -. The ten commandments of the tongue from James is ‘Don’t blame God, be slow to speak, don’t use your tongue for venting anger, making empty promises, criticising others, or lying to cover up your faults. Don’t speak evil of one another, boast about personal plans, complain or swear. Rather use your tongue to bless, edify, encourage, praise and affirm. And the ‘everything’ also includes what we do ‘in deeds’. As it applies to the church, this means that we should be faithful, persevere, and do everything with the highest level of excellence and in LOVE.
When we decide to follow Jesus we make a decision to share Him with the people around us through love and how we respond to other people’s actions and reactions. For Jesus will cause a crisis in our and their hearts, as we all make decisions for and against Him. For the sword will divide, discriminate, and judge the thoughts, attitudes, and relationships of all people. Everyone like Mary will go through the same crisis, everyone must decide what to do with Jesus.
Today we celebrate Mothering Sunday – a day when we celebrate and give thanks for our Mothers and the Church – a day when children express their love and gratitude with cards, presents and flowers. Maybe lunch is being made for you today! When Mothers forget for a while, the times of heartache and wanting to ring their little necks and surround them with hugs and kisses of thankfulness that they are who they are. But for some today will be a day of sadness for like Mary their heart has been broken or pierced. There will be Women who will be able to identify with Mary perplex-ness because their own heart has been pierced. Their child is no longer here for whatever reason or they are missing or there has been a falling out, wrong words spoken and forgiveness not given. These are the women who need an abundance of love from us. If you know of a Woman today whom you know will be on their own for whatever reason, please see me after and I will give you something you can take to them.
Questions:
a. God show us a parent’s love. Ideally each family and each church lives that love out here on earth. How can we ‘do what it says on the tin’?
b. What are the realities in relationships that get beyond chocolates and flowers?
c. If you could do something outside your comfort zone (i.e. work on the night shift at a soup kitchen or an Aids hostel/hospital) what would it be?
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