Search this site
BROTHERLY LOVE (BROTHERLY LOVE)by Demos Shakarian
1. Responsibility to each other (Gen. 4:9)
The theme of brotherhood emerges early in the Scripture, and it is clear from the beginning that God grants importance to fraternal relations. In this passage, the subject of responsibility for each other appears for the first time. Cain questions, "Am I, perhaps, my brother's protector?' The word used for "protect" (from the Hebrew shamar) means "to protect, watch, attend or consider. "Am I perhaps responsible. "Certainly", is God's response. We are not only guardians of our brothers and sisters, but we will be called to account for our treatment of our (physical and spiritual) brothers and sisters.
Owing to Cain's sins against his brother, God curses him, halts his ability to cultivate and sentences him to a fugitive and vagabond life (verse 12). This clearly indicates that fraternal disharmony destines us to sterility and the frustration of our purposes.
2. Love accepts those who have grieved us (Gen. 45:4)
Joseph's history is an old story that relates the merciful attitude that GOD expects us to assume in our treatment of those who have grieved us. It is an example of the love that Christ showed. In spite of the fact that Joseph's brothers sold him and deceived his father so that he thought him dead, when they faced him during their time of need, his love and forgiveness was made manifest. Demonstrating an extraordinary faith in the powerful divine providence, Joseph confessed his belief that GOD used his brothers' betrayal as a way to deliver his family during the famine (v.7). Joseph's forgiveness of his brother's sin is so complete that he kisses them and weeps for joy at being reunited with them. Brotherly forgiveness is expressive, altruistic and is offered beneficially.
3. Unselfish Christian love toward strangers (Lev. 19:34)
In the eternal words of this text, the Scripture clearly establishes a definitive guide about how to interact with strangers. The spirit of these teachings sums up the entire Bible. GOD expects us to relate with strangers in a spirit that is selfless, profound, servicial and filled with Christian love. He reminds his people that they, who were once strangers in Egypt, should, more than any else, know how it feels to be treated like strangers. The first lesson consists in not forgetting how it feels to be rejected and to never give place to it. His instructions about how to treat strangers contradicts what normally happens in the world. The LORD says that when a stranger comes to our home he should be received as "one who was born among you", that is, as part of the family! Taking into account the fact that the Jews gave great importance to the family lineage, these divine teachings exercise a great impact upon them. Thus is emphasizes what being a stranger represented in GOD's eyes. The second lesson reminds us that all humanity is a great family. Deal with others in that manner.
4. To come near to GOD, love everyone else (Psa. 15:3)
In Psalm 15 David asks GOD about the qualities that are necessary to dwell in his tabernacle (v.1). The divine response reveals that "dwelling" in the divine presence and purposes requires the willingness to demonstrate a close relationship with others. To have a close relationship with GOD you must decide to conduct your life maintaining correct relations with others! GOD tells David 1) to speak mercifully to his neighbor; 2) to never murmur or say something that will destroy another's reputation; 3) to never hurt another person in any way; 4) Finally, GOD warns David to not "reproach" his neighbor. "Reproach" (from the Hebrew cherpah) means "to cast blame, discredit, disgrace or shame". If the Old Testament teaches that to satisfy our desire to get closer to GOD we must make our love toward others a priority, the New Testament commandment to "love our neighbor as ourselves" (Rom. 13:9) is certainly vital to our present relationship with the heavenly Father.
5. Generously forgiven, in order to forgive generously (Psa. 86:5)
This crucial sentence is directed to change life in both terms of the equation: 1) in our reception of the divine love and his merciful pardon and 2) in our reciprocating the forgiveness as and how we receive it. The virtues of goodness and forgiveness are attributes engendered by our heavenly Father, and should be found in our lives. GOD expects us to be like Him, that is, that we be ready to forgive the transgressions of our neighbor with the abundant mercy that we have been shown. "Great" comes from the Hebrew rab, which means "abundant, with excess". GOD wants us to offer our mercy and our forgiveness. He seeks people who offer unlimited mercy and forgiveness.
6. Love others who feel animosity toward you (Matt. 5:44)
The correct meaning of the word enemy" isn't limited to anyone we don't like. The commandment to love our enemies signifies much more than simply changing our feelings about these people we don't feel good about. Rather, "enemy" (in Greek, echthros) means "adversary" and refers to those whose actions and words manifest hatred toward you; the brother-in-law or sister-in-law who doesn't want to speak to you, the fellow worker who wants you to be fired. He commands us to love those who have animosity toward us. Jesus leaves no room for speculation in this passage, but commands us to love those who hate, despise, and persecute us. Such love is possible only through the power of Jesus Christ, who loved in this way, and who now seeks ways to demonstrate his love to those who hate him, besieging disciples like you.
7. In his love, GOD loves the unpleasant (Luke 6:31-35)
To love the unlovable is to renounce the selfish love of the world; it speaks of the love of Christ toward people who apparently had no possibility of offering any recompense. Jesus asks us to love, as He loved, those who amount to the least, those who are ugly, the poor or those who have no means to help us. This is possible only through a supernatural transformation that engenders in us a different order of response than what is customary in human society. Just as the human mind distinguishes the different types of animals, thus Christian love should be dramatically different, in the same way that the believer is distinguished from the world that surrounds him. It is to strip ourselves of the animal reactions that make us grumble, attack or take vengeance. It should transcend the human responses that expect an earthly reward for a service or an act of goodness. Love will thus be like a ray of light that makes the world around us ask what makes us glow with love in the midst of unpleasant people. Stephen exemplified this love (Acts 7:59,60) and Saul (Paul) experienced the effects of a similar love (Acts 9:5). Notice "the goads" of culpability that were employed to pierce him, leaving no room for doubt, through Stephen's love. The perfection of GOD's love in us can gain us a curious and attentive audience.
8. Love is helpful (John 12:26)
Love has a spirit of service. The mentality of the world never will understand or accept this calling. A servant is one who accepts and recognizes that he is subordinate to those whom he serves, one who is prepared to renounce all the social prestige of human scale of values. But Jesus says that those who accept to serve him - rather, to serve the world in his name - will be honored by the heavenly Father. Each true servant will be, finally, honored by the one whom he serves and who has promised to honor him for that service!
If we follow and serve our King, in that act of service we are elevated to a place of honor!
9. The priority and course of brotherly love (John 15:12,13)
Here are summarized all the duties and what should be a guide for the conduct of Jesus' disciples. In simple form, this declaration establishes what should be a priority for us and the path that we have to follow. 1) Our priority is to love each other. 2) Our path is to love like Christ loved us, "giving his life". Who can measure this love? Christ left the comfort, joy and worship of heaven to bear the sins of mankind. He bore the pain of the lashes, the nails in his hands, the lance that pierced his side, the crown of thorns upon his head, all of which exemplify the measure of his love. We discover his love, we see his manner of loving and, at the same time, are called to bear the sins of other persons, the pain that it imposes on us, the beatings, the cruelties and the improper treatment to which we are made the object. Impossible? Yes, for the human nature; but since we are temples of the Holy Spirit, who has shed the love of GOD in our hearts, we can ask for the grace and power to love as Jesus loved.
10. Brotherly love flows out of the divine nature (II Pet. 1:78)
In II Peter 1:4 the apostle describes the "great and precious promises" that enable us 1) to be participants of the divine nature, and 2) to flee from "the corruption that is in this world". These graces are necessary to carry us above the decadence of the human nature and toward "fraternal affection" and "love" (v.7). Fraternal goodness dissolves personal conflicts and discourtesies toward each other. It permits us to once again be concerned with our real enemy: Satan. Even more: To know love is to know how to receive and generate the agape love. That is what makes us like Christ, that providential gift filled with affection, overflowing with benevolence, that provides a feast of love to all those who minister in the name of Jesus. This text constitutes a promise for those whose consecration permit these gifts to flourish. We can truly participate in the divine nature, which lifts us far above the corrupt and divisive spirit of the world.
|
|
