Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30
Introduction
Precious one, Let me usher you into the month of love by reflecting on love with you. Love is popular and important to all of us. Yet, love is often misunderstood or limited by our human nature. Today’s sermonette would remind us of the Largeness of Love—its expansive, inclusive, and transformative power. We will explore how love is not confined to mere emotions but is an active, living force that reveals the majestic nature of God.
1. Love as the Foundation of Trust.
The psalmist declares trust in God, "In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame...Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go...For you have been my hope...my confidence since my youth...I will ever praise you."
This is a stronghold of God's faithfulness since birth. This trust is built on God’s steadfast love. Love, in its largeness, is not merely an affectionate feeling but a foundation of security and faith. When we experience God’s love, we can trust Him fully, knowing His love never fails.
Love founded by God is demonstrated to us in Christ. Jesus took the very nature of a servant, He humbled Himself to suffer and die a shameful death so that you and I can live. This is the largeness of love - our full acceptance of Christ's fullness to demonstrate this love to all manner of persons.
Precious one, when you profess your love, is it merely an affectionate feeling - eros, pragma, philia, philautia, ludus, storge, mania, or a foundation of security and trust - agape?
Beloved, we are to be this rock of refuge, the trustworthy children of God in people's lives that never put anyone to shame. When this love is sincerely built, trust for each other resonates.
Can your spouse/partner trust you? What about your co-workers, neighbours, friends, and even the church, can we trust you with sincere love? Reflect and seek God's help today.
The largeness of love means that God’s care for us is not seasonal and so should ours be. God's love is found beyond our birth and physical death. Just as the psalmist finds refuge in God’s love, we are invited to rest in His love as a fortress of hope.
2. Love as the Greatest Gift
Paul’s famous passage on love reveals the largeness or supreme nature of love. He contrasts love with spiritual gifts, knowledge, and faith, emphasizing that without love, all these things are meaningless. All the things humanity seeks in life are founded on love.
He takes time to explain love as patient, kind, enduring, humble, and selfless. It does not envy, not proud, dishonor others, is not selfish, and keeps records of wrongs. Love actually protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres and never ever fails.
Child of God, the largeness of love means that it is not just for those who are easy to love. It extends to the difficult, the broken, and even our enemies - "“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45). The real proof of being a child of God from John 1:12 is your unceasing love for your enemies. This is the extent to which love goes.
Love is greater than prophecy and knowledge because it lasts beyond this life—it is eternal. Remember that, the love we show to people on earth will go with us beyond our earthly life. Paul calls us to grow in love by moving from childish ways to maturity in faith. To live in the largeness of love is to reflect Christ, who embodies love in its fullest form.
3. Love as Inclusive and Challenging
Jesus, in the synagogue, declares that He is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. The people of Nazareth initially received His words with awe, "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips..."(Luke 4:22), but when He challenged their narrow view of God’s love to see the largeness of it, they turned against Him.
In the same way, I wouldn't be surprised if you are contrasting these thoughts I'm sharing with you with your experience and practicalities. But the truth is that this is the largeness of God's love and a call unto all of us to pursue as children of God.
Jesus reminds them that God’s blessings extend beyond the four corners of Israel—to a widow in Zarephath (Lebanon) and to Naaman, a Syrian (West Asia - shares borders with Turkey, Iraq, Jordan). This enrages the crowd because they want God’s love to be "exclusive" to them alone. But the largeness of love cannot be confined to one group—it reaches beyond geographical boundaries, race, skin colour, sex, family, work, tribe, etc.
The challenge for us today is whether we will embrace the all-inclusive nature of Christ’s love. Do you limit love only to those you find in agreement, or do you let it flow freely, even toward those you find difficult?
Conclusion
Living in the Largeness of Love means, trusting in God’s everlasting love, prioritizing love above all else, and expanding your love beyond personal comfort.
Love is not a feeling we reserve for certain moments—it is a way of life. As we live the Christ kind of life, let us embrace the largeness of love, reflecting God’s heart to the world. Amen.
Shalom aleikhem...
