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Only one true saint died for our sins. And he did it willingly, having all the power of the eternal to come to his rescue, having all the reason in the world to step down off the wooden pier. His was an act of true love, a selfless dove slain by our hands. I say “our hands” because He died for you and I, he bled for your mistakes and my selfishness. Make no mistake his was heart overflowing with love when it burst inside his chest.
Love.
But so did Stephen, Peter, and all the early martyrs who were beaten, stoned, burned and dismembered. They too died for us. They too loved unselfishly.
Stephen, who challenged the Holiness of the temple. Spoke out of love and not indignation. Through the seemingly sardonic rehashing of the history of Israel, he moves the crowd into a defensive frenzy, as he turns his words against the temple in his closing remarks, quoting Isaiah 66:1:
Stephen Speaking: However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands, as the prophet says,
‘Heaven is My throne ,
And earth is the footstool of My feet ;
What kind of house will you build for Me ?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My repose ?
After saying this he was immediately stoned.
Love.
Barnabas writes in defense of Stephen,
“I will also speak to you about the temple, and how those wretched men went astray and set their hope on the building, as though it were God’s house, and not on their God who created them… Before we believed in God, our heart’s dwelling-place was corrupt and weak, truly a temple built by human hands, because it was full of idolatry and was the home of demons, for we did whatever was contrary to God. “But it will be built in the name of the Lord”… How? Learn! By receiving the forgiveness of sins and setting our hope on the Name, we became new, created again from the beginning. Consequently God truly dwells in our dwelling-place — that is, in us. How? The word of faith… opening to us who had been in bondage to death the door of the temple… he leads us into the incorruptible temple.”1
History tells us as Barnabas arrived to Salamina, a large city in Cyprus to strengthen the local church. Upon arriving, he was apprehended by a mob, who had been stirred up by a Jewish sorcerer, and in the midst of being taken to the judge the crowd realized he would be found innocent, so they took matters into their own hands — putting a rope around his neck they drug him out of the city and burned him.2
Love.
I guess it is in our nature to sugar coat the word, because at it’s core love is a bitter pill to swallow… a word that only makes sense when a sacrifice is made. Unfortunately, most of us believe in such a diluted concept of love, a word that brings to mind rainbows and butterflies, roses in bunches and cheesy iambic pentameters. In so doing we have neutered the true power of love, and settle for a candy coated love that is not relational, but transactional — we worship temples and idols, churches and pastors, sports teams and celebrities — all the while missing the point of the gospels, in which a sacrifice is made and true righteous love becomes tangible. The actions of the apostles – in following the action of Jesus – means that love no longer costs us monetarily, in sacrifices of grain and portions of meat — it costs more, because it now demands our lives.
But that’s a hard reality to imagine, especially in the culture of today… I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to believe my life is at risk when I choose to love Christ supremely, but yet, if what we believe is true… To love Christ unconditionally, is to daily put down my life in order to save another. Not in some fire and brimstone speech in which I solicit a prayer, but in real and tangible ways — loving Christ means loving others.
In faith we begin to see God in everything, with a hope that is not crushed when our bank accounts and lives crumble, and a love that sacrifices the whole self for the lives of others.
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1. Barnabus 16:1-3;6-9
2. Theilemean J. van Braght; “Martyrs Mirror” pg 76.
2 Comments on "Love."
Thanks Sam! It is amazing how your words can bring on such a range of feelings and emotions, not to mention an expansion of my vocabulary. I have to admit I use “love” in a wide range of dilutions. I often forget about the true definition and model of love that Christ so graciously has shown us. I have always been a husband, teacher, and coach that talks and teaches on non-sugar-coated ideas and issues. Tell the facts just as they are. Perhaps, I need to take a closer look at how I sugar coat much of my love for things and idols of this world!?
yep, randy… it’s a difficult word to grapple with. I love coffee, but I would not sacrifice more than a few dollars for it. So, in my mind, I’m asking myself — what am I investing in with my money, energy and passion? And is that investment usurping my passion for God’d people?
hard questions with difficult applications, of which i fail at everyday.
like your thoughts Randy!