A love that insists on forever

The King's Community of Healing Light

(1 John 2:9-11, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, March 27, 2016)

[9] Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. [10] Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. [11] But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

There are two very significant problems with pursuing relationships with family and friends in this broken world. First, many end up being something less than what we would like them to be. Second, even if our loves are perfect, they die. Jesus has solved both of these problems with His resurrection. First, the world that He began as the first resurrection man will be far better, in terms of relationships, than anything that we could ever ask for or imagine. This is very good news for parents who would like things to be better with their children and for children who would like things to be better with their parents—and it also is true for all other kinds of relationships that we have at present, like marriages, siblings, friends. Second, all those perfected relationships will never end, since there will be no more death.

Resurrection is the ultimate healing and the ultimate plan of love. It is also the destiny of all who are united to Jesus Christ by faith. In our sermon text today, the Apostle John insists that “love” relationships are the new normal for those who are in the family of God. But the world that we are a part of now is not all about love. There is something else which is very much present all over the earth, and John plainly calls it “hate.” To desire the demise of someone and to take actions to bring about their destruction is the ultimate hate. Christians are people who are guided by the light of Christ's resurrection. We are people of love, even love for enemies.

Christ's resurrection required His prior death. To experience a resurrection that would carry us into His new world, He had to take our sins upon Himself and carry them far away. Bringing us the ultimate healing required His ultimate love. He invites us into the life of that costly love.

Whoever says ...

This world is under a just sentence of death because of sin. It has become a place of darkness. It is not as dark as it could be. For instance, the world that we know here under the sun is the site of a very engaging drama. The King of heaven came into this world to do what only He could do to overturn death with resurrection. He is building His church through the proclamation of a resurrection message. This good news of the mercy of God through a righteous substitute, Jesus, is a Word of healing light that is bearing fruit all over this dying world.

But not everyone receives that good message with a receptive heart. When Jesus came to establish this new life, He was hated by many—hated without a cause. He also warned His disciples that we would also be hated. The word “hate” in the Gospels is frequently connected with persecution against Jesus and the church (Matthew 10:22, 24:9-10, Luke 19:14, 21:7, John 7:7, 15:18-19). It is called hate because the enemies of Jesus and His church wanted to see both removed.

John says in our text that a person may say that he in the light, but if he detests the church and wants to see it gone—if he hates his “brother”—then he is still in darkness. The Jesus who is committed to your life forever in a renewed resurrection world is already bringing life and light to His church. He has been doing that for twenty centuries. Saying that you have the light of Jesus has never been a definitive proof that you have that life. If you despise the household of faith, if you want to see the church destroyed because you find them to be lacking in some particular so that you find the entire entity offensive, John says you are still in darkness.

Whoever loves ...

Thankfully there are people that actually love the brothers and sisters in the faith. They want to see them thrive forever in the world of resurrection. Such people are truly living in the light of Jesus. Having a relationship with a true person of love will be good for your walk in the Lord. Being with him or her will not make you stumble.

What “brother” is John writing of here? Brothers in Christ. Loving the brothers and sisters in Christ's church is the true sign of genuine Christianity. This is affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 25 and by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. We should not be overly impressed by what people say about their own faith. It is by the fruit of true love for the brethren that real disciples are known.

Blinding darkness

John is plainly teaching here that there could be those who claim to be in the light, but that this claim is proven false because they actually hate the church, seeking its demise. This may seem strange. No one likes to think of himself as a person of hate. Yet this is one of the dangers of an infection of darkness in the soul of a human being: Darkness blinds people. They may imagine that they only have indifference toward brothers, or that they actually love the church in some way. Yet they actually would like to see the church gone, and that is what hate is all about. See Old Testament history, the life of Jesus and His disciples, and the history of the church.

Healing light

Jesus was not a man of hate toward His beloved church. He did not plan out the destruction of the temple of the Holy Spirit. He did everything that was necessary for the church's resurrection.

What was necessary? First, He had to be faithful in life and death. Second, He had to pick up His own life from the grave and ascend above to make the way for us to live in the realm of light. Third, He had to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the church, changing the hearts of billions over many centuries, and giving gifts among His disciples so that the message of His resurrection would go everywhere. Finally, He must come again at just the right time in order to give us in our bodies what we already have tasted in our souls—resurrection life.

This is the true Christian hope. It is very good news that can give a humble boldness to those who will believe and obey. It can heal old wounds. It can improve all kinds of relationships. It can bring a new sense of purpose and meaning to daily lives everywhere. It can build up a worldwide community of resurrection in a world that is decaying and will one day be no more.

The Lord is a God of healing love. He invites us to join Him in the light of His cross and in the power of His resurrection. Every other pathway is some version of blinding darkness. Why should we hate the people who love the Lord of love? Why should we be arrayed against those who, though weak, sincerely wish to worship the King? Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed!

Old Testament Reading—Ezra 6:13-18 – The joyful dedication of the house of God

Gospel Reading—Luke 6:1-5 – The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. He loves His disciples and gives them food on His great day. We have a new Sabbath day because of the resurrection.