All You Need Is Love?

In class Sunday August 10, 2008:

Highlighted text:

Mark (12:28-34)

28)And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29)And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32) And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33) And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34) And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

A Selfish Society

Does it sometimes seem that we live in a selfish society that cries “Me, me, me!” all of the time? Our society projects a completely different value system from that of the Bible. Our society and human nature prompt us to love ourselves best. Have you heard someone say he is “looking out for Number One?” our society says that self comes before others.

Have you ever heard some say “you have to toot your own horn”? Such thinking is society’s concept of boasting. People think of themselves first and want everyone else to give them preference. Even though society and human nature may prompt us to think of ourselves first, in the long run, it does not pay.

Selfish people generally are not liked. Do you not get frustrated with selfish people who always want to talk about themselves and never care about anything else? Selfish people are not the most respected people in a gathering. If we remember them, we usually remember them in a negative way. The figures in history we remember positively are usually people who put aside personal egos and gave of themselves for the good of others.

Example: Jonas Salk, who dedicated his life to finding a cure for polio and Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross and made caring for the hurting her life’s cause.

Being selfless does not mean having no self-worth. God never meant for us to hate ourselves or feel worthless. We are precious in God’s sight, and we need to maintain a positive self-image. We can be happy with ourselves while putting others first and not being self-absorbed if we look to God’s way. Jesus said that loving our neighbor as our-self was second only to loving the Lord (Matthew 22:36-40). If instead of thinking of ourselves we become aware of others, we can find blessings that come through giving.

Likewise, putting others before ourselves does not mean a life of deprivation. On the contrary, seeing ourselves as helpers to others is quite empowering. In the Bible, people who put others before themselves never went without rewards. Indeed, their sacrifices opened the door for blessings and great encounters with God.

Break Point

Connecting selfless love to outreach is a good way to urge established believers to think of others. Here are three “non-traditional” ways to outreach that involves selfless love on the part of the Christian witness.

1. Baking cookies for a neighbor and delivering them with an invitation to a service.
2. Giving someone a “Prayer Gift Certificate” for Christmas.
3. Arranging for the youth group to volunteer in a soup kitchen for one afternoon.

Biblical Examples/Stories of Putting Others First

Mary and Martha gave of their time and effort (Luke 10:38-42). Each woman gave something of herself. They gave in different ways because they each had different personalities and talents. But Jesus honored each gift, and they were rewarded with memorable moments in his presence.

One of the most dramatic miracles in the Bible was made possible by the sacrifice of one boy giving up his lunch. When the lad gave his loaves and fish, Jesus fed multitudes (John 6:1-14). How better to represent sacrifice than giving your own food so that others might eat? The young man could have put himself first and have fed his own hunger, but he thought of others and gave his lunch so everyone could eat. Indeed, God honored this sacrifice and multiplied his contribution to the point that it took twelve baskets to hold the leftovers.

Joseph of Armithea also reaped great spiritual treasure for giving of his substance. He begged Pilate for the crucified body of Jesus, and then he buried Christ in a sepulcher (tomb) he had hewn out of rock himself (Matthew 27:57-61). His contribution became the springboard for the most meaningful miracle of all - the Resurrection!

How could anyone forget the beautiful story of the lady with the alabaster box (John 12:1-9)? The box was worth about 300 days-wages. If the typical day’s wage is $75, the worth of that box today would be $22,500! Her gift was a sacrifice not only of her finances, but also of her pride. People around her murmured as she anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. It was a very humbling experience, but her sacrifice has been an example to worshipers through the ages.

Points to Ponder

If we keep in mind that a life of godliness means a life of selflessness, we will keep the right perspective. If we first look to kingdom principles, God will give us the secondary things we need, too. Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

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