THE POWER OF LOVE

John, the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ, made this irrefutable assertion of the unfathomable and unsearchable and unchallenged declaration of the love of God.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God send not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

(John 3:16-17 RSJV)

The world in turmoil needs love.War is selfishness.It destroys. It kills people. If divides people with hate. Love is the remedy to war. The problem and difficulty most people have in understanding love is they relate it to acts of sensuality and sex. The love the Holy Bible speaks is pure and undefiled. It honors and respects one another. St Paul has a beautiful definition of love. He says “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity; but rejoice in the truth; bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (I Corinthians 13:4-7)”

Love needs a good model. A model maybe a pattern, a design, or an example to emulate. Jesus gives us a good example of what love is in the life of the good Samaritan.

A Samaritan is looked down by the Jews. They avoid him and despise him. The story of the good Samaritan demonstrates what love is in one’s religious practice. In the Law of Moses everyone is instructed to love his neighbor as himself. The priest and scribe in the story of the good Samaritan know the Law requires them to love – show compassion to the distressed one. They know what their Law requires of them to do at this particular

situation, but there is also a law which prohibits them from having contact with a dead body. There is also the possibility that the robbers are still around and their safety is in danger.

On the other hand the Samaritan came along. He saw ther man lying and wounded in the middle of the road. He was a Jew, perhaps one he knew personally. This man is one of those who despise him openly. But he was severely wounded and needed immediate help. He did not think about the robbers who may be in the area. This Jew needed help very badly. Perfect love cast out fear. Love made him to care and make provision with the inn keeper for continuing care of the wounded man. This is love in action. “Greater love has no man than this that he lays down his life for a friend.” Thus said the Man who knows what love is. He laid down his life for all because He loves all. He was willing to forgive even those who put him to death “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Love triumphed over Hell and death. Let us learn to love one another as Jesus Christ love us.”