Love: The Most Important Commandment

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As Jim Reeves composed and sang, some still remember: “This world is not my home I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore …” If this is true why will you treat any man you come across as a stranger? Stranger because they are new in town, of a different race, of a different religion, of a different social class or of a different generation. Why will you not accord that stranger the same treatment, as you will your next of kin, relative or good friend? Why will your love not extend to that stranger?

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At a time of extreme hatred in the land, played out in every facet of our lives, the need to remember that we are all strangers as Jim Reeves sang is paramount. The fight to the death you see - (at home, at work, in government and in the Church) epitomized by that on the streets of Port Harcourt in what some believe is a proxyghost and outsourced fight of the corrupt, is a contribution to the realm of chaos where the prince of hate presides. Yet we talk about Christian love.

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Let us, as St. Benedict, pray: “O gracious and Holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive Thee, diligence to seek Thee, patience to wait for Thee, eyes to behold Thee, a heart to meditate upon Thee, and a life to proclaim Thee; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen

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On Monday July 8, during the week commencing Ramadan, Pope Francis went to the Mediterranean Island of Lampedusa – a gateway of many into Europe from the captivity of bad government, and all that that brings, in Africa. On that trip, made on account of the pain in the heart he felt for the suffering masses and many who die on

the high seas between Africa and Europe, the Pope spoke to global indifference to the plight of the poor, the disadvantaged and the displaced world-over. He said: "Today no one in the world feels responsible for this; we have lost the sense of fraternal responsibility; we have fallen into the hypocritical attitude of the priest and of the servant of the altar that Jesus speaks about in the parable of the Good Samaritan … We look upon the brother half dead by the roadside, perhaps we think 'poor guy,' and we continue on our way, it's none of our business; and we feel fine with this … The culture of well-being, that makes us think of ourselves, that makes us insensitive to the cries of others, that makes us live in soap bubbles, that are beautiful but are nothing, are illusions of futility, of the transient, that brings indifference to others, that brings even the globalization of indifference."1 5.

These deep seated statements, that strike a cord in the heart, help to foreground the theme of this homily – Love: the most important commandment - based on the parable of the Good Samaritan, referred to by the Pope and, set out in the Gospel according to Luke 10: 25 – 37. I rely in particular on Luke 10:27 which says: “… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.” The subject of “love” is a recurring theme of the pulpit, and this is so because it is the most important commandment. It is one that is so easy to teach and mouth, yet may be so tough to practice.

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Love is a most spoken about virtue, but the least perceptible in our society, and even the Church – for the love many claim they practice is the good done solely in the hope of reciprocity, or as a matter of convenience or because the recipient is a relative. But the love we talk about, which is the most important commandment, is

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See http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/08/world/europe/pope-lampedusa-refugees.

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the love of Christ in you, love that requires of you to do good to even your enemies, and demands of you to forgive the treachery of your enemies. For I ask you, dear fellow worker in Christ, what will you do if your were confronted with your traducer; the enemy of your progress; or the cause of many an affliction, now in a position of weakness, like the Jew helped by the Samaritan? 7.

What can you learn from the Pope? In driving home his message of universal love which knows no boundaries, requires no recompense and is, therefore, unrequitting, Pope Francis prayed for fasting Muslims, showing them charity instead of bigotry wishing them showers of spiritual fruits. The lesson for you as a Christian, not to take the injunction not to be unevenly yoked, is not to discriminate, but rather take all men as brothers worthy of your love. Will you thus wish your Muslim relatives and friends well in this season? Will you pray for them and seek for them the grace to believe?

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Secondly, the Pope showed that Christian faith requires you to be a good Samaritan in loving your neighbour, in other words showing love to those who despise or hate you; those who do you no good, to those actually in need of salvation. His is a reminder of the last Pope but one, John Paul II who went out of his way to meet, forgive and show compassion and mercy to the man who tried to kill him. Will you do the same? Will you go to prison to meet, greet, forgive and show compassion to that man who robbed you? Will you extend yourself to your enemy?

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Consider the Captain of Costa Concordia, whose trial for manslaughter of 32 people who died in Cruise liner he captained, started on Tuesday July 8? If your relative were in that accident said to have been avoidable and with respect to which the Captain is alleged to have been grossly negligent, will you forgive him, or seek revenge, or sit through his trial to get a feeling of release as some say? Boko Haram killers were at it again in the last seven days. So galling and gutting were these ignorant acts of hatred our normally taciturn President felt a jolt in the heart and retorted that the killers will

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rot in hell. But I ask you, should he have wished them that instead of prayer that they abandon their ways of wickedness, repent and live – even if in prison for their crimes against humanity? 10. No doubt, the peculiarity of the Christian faith is fully explicable only in the context of love. As 1 John 4:8 says: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is Love.” Christ our Lord summed it all up in Matthew 5: 43 - 46 thus: “… you have heard that it was said ‘you shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?” 11. I am reminded of Aunty Mo, who as a good wife had mercy on her husband and helped him to stand on his feet - only for him to learn to run, treat her badly, stripe her bare, and abandon her for new wives. Was she not bitter? Was she not injured? But guess what, after many years of sorry by her, at the peak of his wealth he had a massive stroke, all his new wives abandon him, only for Aunty Mo, as a Good Samaritan, to go back to take care of him till he passed! 12. I hope, unlike the scholar, who approached Christ in the parable of the Good Samaritan, your attitude is not that of: “I am a faithful Christian; I never revenge; I forgive; but once beaten twice shy – so I do not forget.” I hope rather you are like Obafemi Awolowo, the unjustly treated leader, held captive by his enemies, who on becoming our most important civilian in the early and glorious days of Gowon’s government, refused to use the golden opportunity presented him to strike back at some of his jailers! So when tables turn and that man that stabbed you is at your

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mercy, remember his misdeeds, and on that account show him compassion, and pray for his redemption. 13. Coming home to the Church: are those violated Catholics justified in seeking downfall and revenge for the Sodomite ministers who abused them in childhood? Have you asked yourself whether the Church is right in seeking that such sinners be given reprieve? What should the Church do in disciplining lay and clergy that engage in acts of moral turpitude or spiritual heresy? Should the Church maintain that in dispensing justice mercy must not be forgotten; in disciplining mercy must be practiced so as to show compassion; in adjudicating the wrongdoer must be assisted to repentance, advancement in spiritual welfare, and maintain Christian witness. 2 Bearing in mind that when the Jews sought to stone to death the adulterous woman in John 8; Christ did not declare her innocent, but gave her an opportunity to repent without condemnation, telling her to “go and sin no more.” Will you do the same? Will you endorse Church provisions on discipline of laity and clergy for stealing God’s money, adultery and sexual abuse? 14. These are questions you should use as exemplars of what to check yourself from time to time in relation to that commandment to love – for many of us show love as a matter of reciprocity; to those who love us and to those we know. We count as love giving to charity and all in need, but fall short of extending that hand of Samaritan fellowship.

Whereas

in

typifying

or

explaining

what

this

most

important

commandment is Christ, the fountain of love, chose the parable of the Good Samaritan. Why? Because he wanted to demystify what love means, and bring to you in real terms what is expected of you.

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These are the provisions for discipline in the Methodist Church Nigeria as provided in Section 422 Methodist Church Nigeria Constitution of 2006.

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15. So I ask, are you a priest that will pass by even those of your congregation because it is inconvenient or expensive; or the congregant is poor; or because you have no personal relationship with him? Are you a Levite, or Church worker, who will do the same? Will you, in spite of what has been done to you - (as a subordinate; junior; alien; fresher; injured or wronged party; oppressed or persecutor) - take pity and have mercy on your superior; oppressor; traducer; malefactor; persecutor in distress? I tell you “never again” does not mean you must shorn that person when in distress. Rather, it means you should not be in that conflicting, sinful, damaging or injurious position again. Being a Good Samaritan is a matter of the mind, you therefore have to be purged at all times of all ill feeling towards that person so when the opportunity to be a Good Samaritan comes you can play the role and live as Christ the Bread of Life said. 16. This Parable on love sits on the tripod of pity, mercy and neighbour - and helps to convey, beyond theological abstraction, the reality and duty in this most important commandment. Borrowing from the inspired lyrics of Fanny Crosby, it simply tells you: “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. Rescue the perishing, duty demands it; Strength for thy labour the Lord will provide; Back to the narrow way patiently win them; Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.” This in sum captures your mission in life as an ambassador of Christ to use your faith to bring all men to God, and use yourself and possessions to bring comfort and succour to all in distress, trial, tribulation or affliction. In this category of course will be the sinner and not the repentant, and which sinner do you know better than those

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who have been wicked, unjust, treacherous, oppressive, injurious, and cruel towards you. 17. I believe your vision and goal is everlasting joy. Although borne of insincerity and treachery, the two questions of the scholar leading to the parable of the Good Samaritan, were tied to the joy of eternal life through love of neigbour. Christ’s admonition to the law expert was that to live he must love. So if you simply intend to live you have no choice but to be a Good Samaritan of love. In your thoughts, words and deeds love must radiate and shine for all to luxuriate in. Touch one human being with your love and positively impact that person and in the process all of humanity! What do I mean? I mean love in action about which Paul had a lot to say in Romans 12:9 – 21.3 18. As my sibling in Christ, I tell you that of all the wrong done to you, others have suffered worse – yet they are able to rise above the ashes of hatred to have pity on their enemies – who really do not know what they are doing when acting under the influence of the evil one. Or what do we say of Nelson Mandela who in spite of humiliation and injustice cultivated not hatred, but the power of patience and perseverance – by which he was able to forgive the past, befriend his enemies - so

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That is: “… Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves ... Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another ... Do not repay anyone evil for evil … live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge … leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

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the future could see peace and harmony? 4 By embracing your enemy the teaching is not about political or economic expediency that lives in adultery. It is not about fraternising with the opposition so you can attain power, win a contract or acquire wealth. It is not about the proverbial boot licking. 19. Rather the love that is above all laws is about sincere and earnest love. A love that sires generosity, generosity which according to 2 Corinthians 8:2 – 7 must show even in the midst of very severe trial; acts of overflowing joy even in extreme poverty; giving as much as you are able; entirely on your own, pleading for the privilege of sharing in service to the Lord’s people; and giving yourself first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to all men. This is love that: “… keeps no records of wrongs, … does not delight in evil but … always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:5 – 7. This is an easy formula to use – wipe off from your memory the wrong done to you. In that way to be a Good Samaritan will be easy. 20. In this way you will be able to emulate Mandela and Michelle Knight - an 11 year captive of a demon possessed man who raped, beat and brutalised her – refused to be consumed by hatred.5 This is because when we are wronged and are intent on revenge, or at least inflexible on showing no love to the enemy, one will be consumed by the poisonous bile of hatred, rather like Ms Knight be filled with the comfort of Christ, by which Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:4 we can comfort others in acts of pity and mercy. To summarise all this, neighbour is the object of love, while mercy and pity are its twin conveyor belt.

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From Editorial opinion of Roger Cohen in the International Herald Tribune, 09.07.13, p, 6.

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See The Times (UK), 10.07.13, page 29.

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21. Dear fellow worker what this means for you is that you must be full of acts of grace. As you know it is by His grace that you are able to do all things when you are yourself resolved to doing the right thing, seeing God’s direction and serving Christ in all ways. Since you have been saved by grace, and live under God’s favour, having being reconciled with the Father of all compassion, like Paul, I: “… urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain ... I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” 6 Pray, therefore, to be rekindled by the countless blessings of His grace, and immeasurable gifts of His Spirit so the grace to be merciful and pitying will be yours. In this way you will discern God in all you see and serve Christ in all you do – and so shall it be. Amen. 22. You know this world is not our own, we are all strangers here – for heaven is our home. If that is so why then will anyone think of another human being as other than being his neighbour? As a stranger yourself, who could be in the position of that Jew, why will you say I am a Samaritan and cannot help my enemy? Bare in my that everything you do affects the human race, just as the conduct of that Samaritan has affected humanity. 23. Love, therefore, is not just positive element of gifting, caring, and fraternising with relatives, those we know, friends and benefactors – but showing pity and mercy to those whom humanity deems unworthy of compassion. This applies in the home, as it does in the office, in the field and indeed everywhere. •

Let that wife know that love is having pity on her husband and supporting him in everyway. Taking account of his travails in life and moderate demands on him on that account. Giving him all you have in true submission as the Bible prescribes.

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See 2 Corinthians 6:2

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Let that child know that filial love is having mercy on your parents and not being good children in terms of good grades or not caving to peer pressure. Rather it is taking the circumstance of your parents into account, doing nothing that will either hurt or disgrace them.

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Let all afflicted by Boko Haram and other criminal children of the Nigerian government know that these ones act under the influence of the tempter – through an indoctrinator, the bottle, alcohol, drugs and the like. Pray for them to turn from their wickedness so they could live. Know that these ones are perishing and need to be snatched in pity from sin and the gaping mouth of infernal abyss. This is not to say that the law should not take its course, but that you must not seek to pursue them for what they may have done to you.

24. Take Boko Haram to be a metaphor for all manner of enemy you may have. The woman who took your husband. The man who took your wife. The girl who, by malicious gossip on the internet, ruined your marriage. The competitor that ruined your business with his might. The boss that ruined your carrier. The senior who left a gash on your side while in school. The sibling that is cheating on your common inheritance. The public servants milking the country to death. The professional ruining pensions and investments. The business counterpart that cheated or tricked you out of your legitimate gains. Have pity and mercy on all! For in this you show that you are true followers of Christ, if you love another. 25. Pray for these ones, but more importantly show them acts of mercy, pity and compassion. Comfort and help them if the need arises. Do this and show that truly you love all men, good and bad, that faith and love springing, like those of Colossians, from the hope stored up for you in heaven. In ending, I urge you in the name of God of all mercies and Father of all compassion, temper justice with mercy; show compassion, and grant forgiveness, to those within your power to punish or

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harm; share in the feeling of sorrow at the misfortune of others especially those who have wronged you; do not fight to death! 26. Remember the concern of Christ was to break this most important commandment down for you and me in most simple terms. So Christ the Teacher and Fountain of Love spoke in that parable about pity, compassion, nursing care, self denial, sacrificial giving of your own transport and shelling out cash for someone other than yourself. It is these ordinary human qualities of love and care, which are given status by Jesus. To be a worthy Christian is to live like Christ who by this parable showed what it is to be an embodiment of love like Christ. By the acts or works we do what Christ preached in the new commandment, by acts of love we pray and show we truly love God, for it is through love of neighbour we demonstrate love of God, for if you do not love man that you see, how can you love God whom you do not see.7 Christ says to live you must love! Draw no boundaries on love, but draw boundaries so you are neither drawn into the tempter’s world; nor become unevenly yoked. 27. Dear child of Christ, is it not, therefore, true that this world is not your own? Is it not plain that you, therefore, ought not to treat anyone as a stranger? Is it not the case that you should do to others how you will want them to treat you when helpless? In ending I tell you: •

if the love in you is corked, the luck in you will be locked; (but)

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if love is your frock, you stand like a rock;

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if love in you talks, the Spirit in you works;

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if love in you walks, Christ in you knocks;

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if all men are by you love struck, you will forever from fountain of life suck.

The sum and substance of all said is simply that it is the will of our Gracious God that you show love, so you may live and have a share in the inheritance of eternal life. 7

See 1 John 4:20

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28. Borrowing, therefore, in prayer from Paul,8 I: “… ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” And so shall it be. Amen.9

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See Colossians 1: 9 – 12, being part of the Epistle reading for the day.

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Being homily at communion service of 14th Sunday in ordinary time, 14.07.13 at EChapel.

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