Sunday, April 18, 2010

2 John 1

5 comments:

Denise said...

"I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning." (v5-6)

Mac an Rothaich said...

Verse 7 reminded me of the documentary I started watching this past week. It was on tv (cbc I think) in the afternoon and was about a United Church preachers view that Jesus was a spiritual lesson and not an actual person...I had to shut it off with tears because I don't need encouragement to doubt at this point in my walk. Glad I read this rebuttal to a very subtle documentary. It goes without saying that TV can be that one whom verse 10 warns against welcoming into our home...

Mac an Rothaich said...

Love one another... we need to be reminded it is true.

I have a fellowship group that might be folding and I fought being upset with some who I felt hadn't been owning it and then I was hit with remorse. That isn't loving... the group may not continue but I must still love those in it and hope they will grow in understanding about fellowship...and that I will grow in love and humility.

I am very worried about how everyone will take its wrap up though so if you think of me please pray I will have the words of love to share.

I feel a sense of failure and yet at the same time I understand things must move on, people must move on and not be held back when moving ahead in Christ...

There is my personal blurb for today, thanks ladies:)

Jude said...

Will pray MaR. Those are so often difficult places to come to.

cling to v7..it is the truth, the truth is not in the documentary.

My heart rests in the same place as yours in this chapter Denise: love. John has really focussed on love in his letters. I gather he saw a lack of it then and no doubt would see a lack of it and the fruits of love in this day. The timelessness of the Bible always astonishes me.

Unknown said...

wow. just.... wow. I didn't get a chance to read this yesterday, but I had ALOT of questions after yesterday's sermon and here... this totally addreses it! The sermon was on false gospels and truth... how the message of today is "all you need is love" (we don't need to believe in the same things neccesarily, just LOVE each other) and how that has become a theology of sorts. Our pastor said that what we need is truth.

I totally got where he was coming from, but personally, it was interesting for me because I have always been one with a strong hunger and desire for TRUTH and in recent years God has been slowly showing me that truth without love is detrimental. You know, the passage in 2 Cor that talks about "I can speak in the tongues of men and angels but if I have not love...." in essence, I believe that God has been telling me I need to be MORE concerned about loving, while not being less concerned about truth.

It's really hard to put into words, and I have been wrestling to wrap my head around it since yesterdays sermon but when I read the intro to 2 John today, it just hit it bang on for me. It solidified what I believe God has been trying to teach me;

"The single most difficult pursuit is truth and love."

"That sentence is grammatically correct. I know every English teacher wanted to pluralize it to read: The most difficult pursuits are those of truth and love. But that's not what I meant to say.

True, love is a difficult pursuit. Correct, truth is a tough one too. But put them together, pursue truth and love at the same time, and hang on, baby, you're in for the ride of your life.

But that's the task of the Christian. Love in truth. Truth in love. Never one at the expense of the other. Never the embrace of love without the torch of truth. Never the heat of truth without the warmth of love.

Never would it be easier if we could choose between the two, but we can't. So John, in this second letter, calls for a hybrid.

"I love all of you in the truth, and all those who know the truth love you. We love you because of the truth that lives in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy and peace from God the father and His Son, Jesus Christ, will be with us in truth and love." (vv2-3)

Truth and love. Love and truth. Never one without the other. To pursue both is our singular task."

Max Lucado

I just love that. To pursue BOTH is our SINGULAR task.

Really, really clinched something that God has been trying to help me see for some time.

Love and Truth. I love it.