What is Love?
James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
James is continuing his thought on how to not show partiality. Here’s three things we see just in this verse. You shall love your neighbor. This is part of the royal law: who makes the royal law? The king, right? The king made the law, and so we see this outlined here. The royal law shows up in love itself.
1 – Love is scriptural. Apart from studying and knowing the Word, you don’t know what love is. You can’t know what love is. It is not the warm, fuzzy butterflies you get when you see the person you like or think you love.
2 – Love is selfless. Love. Is. Selfless. How do we know that? Looking at the royal law according to scripture we see what? You shall love who? Someone else.
3 – Love is sacrificial. Love will hurt. Love requires you to lay your desires, your passions, your wants, yourself aside and focus on someone else. That’s what love is. That’s what love does.
It says the royal law according to the scripture. Remember this was one of the first New Testament books written, so he’s clearly referring to the Old Testament. James knew the royal law, and he knew what Jesus said, so we’re going back to the Old Testament to see what he was talking about.
For a long time, the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) was all that the Jewish people had. It was handed down from their king – God – to Moses to give to the people. Therefore, that was the royal law. In Deuteronomy 6:5, we see this outline for what we should be doing, what this love looks like.
1 – Love is scriptural. Apart from studying and knowing the Word, you don’t know what love is. You can’t know what love is. It is not the warm, fuzzy butterflies you get when you see the person you like or think you love.
2 – Love is selfless. Love. Is. Selfless. How do we know that? Looking at the royal law according to scripture we see what? You shall love who? Someone else.
3 – Love is sacrificial. Love will hurt. Love requires you to lay your desires, your passions, your wants, yourself aside and focus on someone else. That’s what love is. That’s what love does.
It says the royal law according to the scripture. Remember this was one of the first New Testament books written, so he’s clearly referring to the Old Testament. James knew the royal law, and he knew what Jesus said, so we’re going back to the Old Testament to see what he was talking about.
For a long time, the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) was all that the Jewish people had. It was handed down from their king – God – to Moses to give to the people. Therefore, that was the royal law. In Deuteronomy 6:5, we see this outline for what we should be doing, what this love looks like.
Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Now, we could camp out there for the next 10 years, because we’re not getting this right. Can you say, “Yes, I love the Lord with my whole heart”? Be real. Be honest right now. Most of us could say, “I love the Lord,” but we love the Lord AND me, AND my bank account, AND my house, AND my car, AND my spouse, AND my children. We’re still holding back portions and pieces of our hearts that we’re not giving over to him. But this says that in the royal law, in the Scripture, we’re to love the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART. Everything you’ve got should be directed to Him. Some of you are already convicted. Those of you who aren’t, hang tight. I’m getting to you.
Love the Lord with all of your soul and your mind. All your thoughts directed to him. Not just praying before a meal, but considering, “Lord, what should I be eating for this meal? What should I be doing with this purchase? What should I be doing with my finances?” Seeking him with every decision. I love Him, my mind is focused on him always, all the time, nothing else. I see his guidance and direction for everything. You there? No?
Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul/mind, and with all your strength. It takes a lot of strength to sit in those blue padded chairs. Are you serving? Is what you are doing focused on Him? Are you doing it because of Him? Because he has given you the strength to work, are you working for Him? Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might. Do all things as unto the Lord.
Let’s do a quick scenario here. It’s a rainy night, and you see a car way up on the side of the road with the blinkers on. As you get closer, you see the words “Just Married” in the back windshield. So you think, “Aww, they just got married. Why are they on the side of the road? That’s not good.” Then you notice the flat tire. And you see the bride out changing the tire, still in her wedding dress. Where is the groom? He’s gone for help. What do you do? You going to drive past? You’re probably going to stop and AT LEAST hold an umbrella over the girl as she changes her tire, right? Ephesians 5- husbands love your wives… So the church is the bride of Christ. You would stop and help that bride change a tire - are you helping THIS bride get the work of the ministry done? Are you loving the Lord with all of your strength? That’s what we see, just the first part in Deuteronomy 6:5. That’s one of the royal laws of Scripture.
Love the Lord with all of your soul and your mind. All your thoughts directed to him. Not just praying before a meal, but considering, “Lord, what should I be eating for this meal? What should I be doing with this purchase? What should I be doing with my finances?” Seeking him with every decision. I love Him, my mind is focused on him always, all the time, nothing else. I see his guidance and direction for everything. You there? No?
Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul/mind, and with all your strength. It takes a lot of strength to sit in those blue padded chairs. Are you serving? Is what you are doing focused on Him? Are you doing it because of Him? Because he has given you the strength to work, are you working for Him? Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might. Do all things as unto the Lord.
Let’s do a quick scenario here. It’s a rainy night, and you see a car way up on the side of the road with the blinkers on. As you get closer, you see the words “Just Married” in the back windshield. So you think, “Aww, they just got married. Why are they on the side of the road? That’s not good.” Then you notice the flat tire. And you see the bride out changing the tire, still in her wedding dress. Where is the groom? He’s gone for help. What do you do? You going to drive past? You’re probably going to stop and AT LEAST hold an umbrella over the girl as she changes her tire, right? Ephesians 5- husbands love your wives… So the church is the bride of Christ. You would stop and help that bride change a tire - are you helping THIS bride get the work of the ministry done? Are you loving the Lord with all of your strength? That’s what we see, just the first part in Deuteronomy 6:5. That’s one of the royal laws of Scripture.
Leviticus 19:17-18 17 "You shall not hate your brother in your heart,
but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people,
but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people,
but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
There it is: that’s the royal law according to Scripture. Back in those days, the king made the laws but he didn’t live by them. Do you live by your own laws? Parents, how many times have you told your children what they need to be doing, and in your mind you’re thinking “Do as I say, not as I do.” We don’t live by our own laws, and neither did the king. Everyone else did. The king made the law, everyone else obeyed it or was punished in some way. The king was above the law. Here’s what’s cool – what makes this royal law FAR different – who’s the king? Jesus. The king wrote the law, knowing that we couldn’t follow it, the king subjected himself to his own law. Jesus left the throne. He stepped down from the throne and became just like us, so that we could eventually become like him. He did what we could not. He set the laws and then lived by them.
Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Jesus set out the law and then lived it out for us because we couldn’t. Then he confirmed it. Jesus got into a conversation with a lawyer. How many times has that happened to you? Especially the other party’s lawyer. They are so good with words, and will twist them to get whatever they want. They are word ninjas. It’s impressive. So a lawyer asks Jesus a question.
Luke 10:25-37 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,
"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"
27 And he answered, "You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself."
28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers,
who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying,
'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."
"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"
27 And he answered, "You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself."
28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers,
who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying,
'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."
The lawyer is trying to justify himself, did you catch that? He’s already breaking the law by loving himself more than anyone else. So a pastor and a politician both pass this man by. And then a Samaritan, one of the most hated people of the day had compassion on the man. Who is your neighbor? Seriously, who is your neighbor? Everybody. If we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, are we really do that, what does that look like?
We love children. We love babies. We even love their little feet.As much as you love them, that’s how much Jesus loves you, like we love children.
We love our grandpas, our grandchildren, our aunts and uncles, our brothers and sisters. We love getting together, right? We love family. Now, all families are screwy and have issues, but we love them anyway. God loves us as His family.
We love hanging out with friends. Friends get us. They look past our weird quirks, even make fun of them, but we love being with them. We support and encourage them, we text and send them stuff on Facebook to make them smile. That’s what God’s love is like. That’s how God loves you.
We love our partners. Every now and then you see an older couple walking together holding hands. That’s awesome. That’s love. That’s sacrifice. We love our spouses. The church is the bride of Christ. Jesus loves you like you love your spouse. That’s the kind of love he’s talking about.
We love our siblings. For a while you can’t tell that kids love each other, but then they all grow up and become friends again. It’s hard to explain, it’s a deep connection because you’ve been through stuff together and you know you can count on them. That’s the love that God has for you.
We even love our pets. I have a dog named Bubba the Pug. He smells. But we love him. How can we say we love our pets? Because we pay money for food, and to take him to the vet because he has weird allergies, and we keep him around even though he keeps me awake with his snoring.
Jesus loves us! Unconditionally, sacrificially, completely. Now, do you love others that way? Are you loving your neighbor? Are you praying for your enemy? Are you loving them? Do we really love others like ourselves? Some people say, “Well I don’t really love myself,” but that’s not true! Because you gave yourself food sometime in the last 24 hours, and you have clothes on. So all of you love yourself. (Thank you, by the way, for wearing clothes!) You take care of yourself – if something hurts, you pull away. You love yourself - the question is whether you love others as much as you love yourself, because that’s what the royal law says. You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. We are amazingly good at selfish love – loving ourselves, doing whatever it takes to benefit ourselves. How are we at true, Biblical love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away;
as for tongues, they will cease;
as for knowledge, it will pass away.
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away;
as for tongues, they will cease;
as for knowledge, it will pass away.
That’s what love looks like. Everywhere you see the word “Love” you could put in “Jesus”. “Jesus is love, Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind.” He’s not willing for any to perish, he’s waiting for as many to come to repentance. He’s that patient. IF you were Jesus and saw how jacked up this world is right now, you would have already come back and said, “I’m done. We’re going to fix this.” But Jesus is patient. He knows there are still some who will come, and he’s waiting for them to come to him first. He doesn’t want to lose them. He’s waiting for them to make that decision.
Is this the kind of love you have for Jesus? For your neighbor? Me neither.
Is this the kind of love you have for Jesus? For your neighbor? Me neither.