Sermon 5 Easter - May 19, 2019

There is a love which comes naturally:

returning love to those to whom nature or nurture attaches us,

having enjoyment among those who share our interests,

falling in love with another person.

But loving in Jesus’ name, in his way of love

must be commanded.

Otherwise we would be satisfied with the love that comes naturally.
And yet the impossible love of Jesus is the love to which we are called.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Jesus says: Love one another.

Simple, right?

If we all loved each other, then everything would be okay.

The Beatles even sang a song about it in 1967.

Maybe some of you remember it.

All you need is love, (wah wah wah wah)

All you need is love, (wah wah wah wah)

All you need is love, love,

Love is all you need.

If we all just loved each other, everything would be okay.

But love is a tricky word, isn’t it?

The word ‘love’ is tricky because words are tricky.

If all we need is love,

then we have to agree on what love means

and what love will do in any situation.

Love is something that wants to be claimed by all.

Whatever people do they claim to be acting out of love for some group, for some person.

Both those who believe in a woman’s right to choose

and those who defend the unborn baby’s right to live

claim to be acting in love for victims.

The two positions would seem to be irreconcilable,

only one can be finally right,

but both sides appeal to love.

In his book, The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis writes:

“William Morris wrote a poem called ‘Love Is Enough’

and someone is said to have reviewed it briefly

in the words, ‘It isn’t.’“

This is why Jesus did not say simply ‘Love one another.’

Instead, he added, ‘As I have loved you.’

On the one hand, this is quite helpful.

Jesus himself makes himself the model for love.

We are to love as he loved.

On the other hand, this is completely frightening,

for the same reason:

we are to love as he loved, as he loves.

And how he loves is displayed right on the back wall of our church.

Open hands, open heart,

ready to forgive, ready to pray,

accepting what is for the sake of what may be,

suffering for the sake of the joy.

Few Christians are called to die for their faith

or for the ones who love them.

Jesus died not only for his faith in the Father,

for the love of those who loved them,

but for the love of those who did not love him.

This is the kind of love to which we are called.

And for many of us it is the hardest thing we can imagine.

Indeed, this kind of love is not a human possibility.

To love in this way does not come naturally to human beings,

otherwise Jesus never would have had to say anything about it.

If it came naturally, like eating or sleeping,

Jesus would not have had to command it.

There is a love which comes naturally.

returning love to those to whom nature or nurture attaches us,

having enjoyment among those who share our interests,

falling in love with another.

But loving in Jesus’ name, in his way of love

must be commanded.

Otherwise we would be satisfied with the love that comes naturally.
And yet the impossible love of Jesus is the love to which we are called.

There is only one thing that makes this love possible:

that the Son of Man has been glorified.

He is glorified because of the cross;

the cross is his glorification.

If we do not know him crucified, we cannot know him resurrected,

for only if he was able to love and walk the way of the cross

would we know the joy and power of the resurrection.

And so it is we know that it is this love, and no other love,

that is the love that abides.

Few of us are called to martyrdom,

but all who are called by Jesus’ name

are called to follow his command:

Love one another as I have loved you.

A couple of weeks ago, I told the story of Jacob DeShazer and Mitsuo Fuchida,

and I want to return to it briefly.

If they had operated only by the love that comes naturally,

the love or bond between like and like,

then they never would have met, they never would have reconciled.

But because they were moved to live by the example of the one who went to the cross,

the one who forgave those who crucified him,

who said Love one another as I have loved you,

the most unlikely of kinships was born.

It was a kinship not of racial or national origin,

but born of kinship in the cross.

By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

This past week has been difficult on social media.

I believe Christianity presupposes the right of a preborn human being to live,

and that the law should constrain those who would take that right away.

Yet, political upheaval terrifies me

and I believe that young and vulnerable people, as always, will also be hurt by any changes in the law;

I don’t look for the kingdom of God to come because of changes in the law,

and new ambiguities and injustices may indeed come if and when the law is changed.

I’ve seen many posts regarding the abortion issue

that I disagree with, that push my buttons,

that get me feeling defensive and ready to attack.

As I walked into the church last week,

with these posts and people on my mind,

I looked up at the cross,

and found myself as I gazed upon the glorious cross,

praying for those who triggered me, with whom I disagreed;

for those whom I think are wrong but who are no less beloved than I.

I think I realized again that this should be my first response.

Perhaps not my only response, but my first one.

I’m not claiming that this is some great thing.

Rather, it’s the only thing I could do.

My natural instincts to fight, to argue, to hide, to claim that I’m above the fray,

can take me only so far.

They cannot take me where Jesus wants me to go.

Love one another as I have loved you;

It’s not a human possibility, but Jesus lays this on us.

As we wrestle with how and what it means for us to live in the world

as disciples of the risen Jesus,

we may do no better than to pray the prayer of St. Augustine:

O Lord, command what you will and give what you command.

Or to remember what Gabriel said to the Virgin Mary,

‘Nothing shall be impossible with God.’

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!