"Agape!"
A sermon preached on The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 5, 2007 at Edgemont Chrsitian Church (Disciples of Christ) , by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on Hosea 11:1-11.
Amber’s father likes to tease us by pointing out the fact that there are actually three Greek words found in the Bible for love - two of which are the middle names of Miriam and Eljiah, and he thinks that, that means that Amber and I need to have another child so that we can utilize that third Greek word for love that is found in the Bible. Wishful thinking on his part! Amber and I had long decided that two children is our limit!
But, as I have shared with you before, there are several words in the Greek language to describe the different levels or degrees of love. There is the word phileo, which describes the kind of love that exists between friends - more commonly known as "brotherly love." And then there is the word eros, which describes a romantic or an affectionate love. And finally, there is the godlike love of agape - the highest form or degree of love - a sacrificial love. This love is difficult to fully understand from the human perspective, because it involves sacrifice - it involves work - it is costly! This love is difficult because it demands so much from us - it is a love that gives and gives, but doesn’t always get back. As I said, this love is difficult to possess or imagine from the human standpoint, but it is natural for God. God doesn’t just embody this love - but as the Apostle John reminds us in his first epistle, God is agape - God is love. And we are especially reminded of this in our Scripture Lesson this morning from the book of the prophet Hosea. In fact, we read about this great love of God throughout the Book of Hosea, as the prophet recounts how God like a parent adopted, and nurtured and loved Israel - God’s chosen child.
In fact, I love the beautiful word pictures that the prophet gives us in these verses. Through these verses we can picture in our mind’s eye God being a loving and gentle parent, tenderly caring for his children. Such is the picture Jesus gives us of God in the gospels.
No chapter in all of the Old Testament more graphically depicts God’s love for his people than this one. In fact, one commentator notes the triune character of God’s love that is presented by the prophet Hosea here in these verses. He writes that in verses 3 and 4, God is pictured as a gracious parent who tenderly teaches his little child to walk and is there to pick that child up when he or she falls. In verse 8, God is pictured as a lamenting husband, agonizing over the waywardness of the faithless wife. And then finally, in verses 9 through 11, God is pictured as a loving Savior who does not give up on his children.
Hosea tells us that God went down to Egypt and through Moses adopted and delivered God’s beloved child - Israel from bondage and captivity. God led them into the land of Canaan and made them a great nation. "When Israel was a child, I loved him," God said. "I taught them to walk... I took them up in my arms... I bent down to feed them." Through these words we picture God gathering up his beloved children in his loving arms when they fell and scraped their knees. And yet, we see that the more God worked with Israel and the more God loved them, the more they turned away. They refused to follow the instructions of their parent. They strayed from the Holy One who had loved them. And so do we, time and time again! But listen again to God’s unconditional love for them and for us; "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? …My heart is torn within me; my compassion grows warm and tender." In spite of Israel’s wandering and rebellion, Hosea says, God still loved them as a parent loves his or her child. That, my friends, is a agapé!
The psalmist speaks of this love. He calls it "a steadfast love," which is to say, a constant, dependable, redeeming and delivering love. It is a love that never fails, that is always faithful no matter how unfaithful we are. And certainly we see and experience this through Israel. Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful them and loved them unconditionally. Stephen Brown, in his book If God Is in Charge, tells the story of a young couple, who fell in love and got married. Some six years and three children later, the wife decided, she couldn’t stand it longer and walked out the door. The pressure of trying to raise three children and be a faithful and supportive wife was too much. She didn’t want to change another diaper, give another bath, cook another meal or clean the house any longer. After she left home, occasionally, she would call home to check on her children, and when she did, her husband would always tell her how much he loved her and wished she would come home. Each time she refused. During her time away, she never told her husband where she was staying. But after a number of days, the husband hired a private detective to find his wife. The report was that she was living in a second-class hotel in Des Moines, Iowa. The husband packed his bags, placed the children under the care of a neighbor, and took a bus to Des Moines. He found the hotel and made his way to her room. When he knocked on the door, his hands trembled because he didn’t know the kind of reception he would receive. His wife opened the door, stood for a moment looking at him in shocked silence, then fell into his arms. Later at home, when the children were in bed, he asked her: "Why wouldn’t you tell where you were when you called? You knew I loved you. Why didn’t you come home?" She replied, "Before, your love was just words. But now I know how much you love me because you came looking for me." In Christ Jesus we see the degree, and depth and level of God’s love for us. In Christ Jesus, God came looking for us!
In verse 5 the Lord speaks through the prophet and says; "Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?" The Hebrew word for "repent" shuwb found here in verse 5 is the same Hebrew word translated "return" that is found earlier in this verse. Israel could not remain stationary – they had to return either to the Lord or to bondage. Israel’s refusal to return to the Lord would result in a return to slavery. And the same is true for us. In Christ we are set free!
And then, in verse 6 the prophet uses the word "devour" kâlâh, which is the same Hebrew word translated "fed" that is found in verse 4. The people of Israel had rejected the gentle God, who fed them and provided for their needs; and as a result, they would be devoured by the swords of the invading Assyrians!
God chose Israel for a specific reason. God wanted to use this nation and the people as a witness – they were to bare witness to God’s love and blessings. They were to usher in the Messiah and the age of grace. But they had rejected God’s love and blessing. They had rejected the Savior and Messiah whom God sent. And so, God found a New Israel - the Church! And, friends, God has chosen us in the same way. We must bare witness to God’s love and blessings and, share with the world the Messiah whose coming has made known a God of love and grace.
In John Redhead’s book, Getting to Know God, he tells the story of a little boy named Bradley who, one morning came downstairs for breakfast and put on his mother’s plate a piece of neatly folded paper. When this mother opened it, this is what she read: "Mother owes Bradley: for running errands, 25 cents; for being good, 10 cents; for taking music lessons, 15 cents; extras, 5 cents; total, 55 cents." When lunchtime rolled around, Bradley’s mother placed an itemized bill at his plate along with the 55 cents. Bradley’s eyes brightened when he saw the money, and he was proud of his business ability. But with the money he found a bill which read: "Bradley owes Mother: for being good, 0; for nursing him through his long illness with scarlet fever, 0; for all his meals, room and board, baths, and toys, 0." Bradley got the message and went and got the 55 cents, put it in his mother’s hand and said; "Take all the money back, Mama, and let me love you for nothing." That’s love – that’s agapé! Do you possess such love?
Agapé love is different from the world’s conception of love. It is a love that is not concerned about costs or sacrifice; rather, it is a love that proves true, even when it is difficult even when it is challenged! A love that is not afraid to give of its time, energy or resources.
Pastor and Teacher, Randy Hammer offers his testimony in his sermon; How Far Does Love Go? He writes; "For years I struggled to earn God’s love, but I could never work hard enough and I could never be at peace. Then when I finally understood the unconditional nature of God’s love it was like a revelation that gave me a new lease on life." Hammer goes on to write; "It was then that I began to fully live!"
I often think, what would our world be like, what would our lives be like, what would our families be like, what would our churches be like if such love existed? Let us pray that such a love may be evident in our lives, in our families and especially in this church!
But, as I have shared with you before, there are several words in the Greek language to describe the different levels or degrees of love. There is the word phileo, which describes the kind of love that exists between friends - more commonly known as "brotherly love." And then there is the word eros, which describes a romantic or an affectionate love. And finally, there is the godlike love of agape - the highest form or degree of love - a sacrificial love. This love is difficult to fully understand from the human perspective, because it involves sacrifice - it involves work - it is costly! This love is difficult because it demands so much from us - it is a love that gives and gives, but doesn’t always get back. As I said, this love is difficult to possess or imagine from the human standpoint, but it is natural for God. God doesn’t just embody this love - but as the Apostle John reminds us in his first epistle, God is agape - God is love. And we are especially reminded of this in our Scripture Lesson this morning from the book of the prophet Hosea. In fact, we read about this great love of God throughout the Book of Hosea, as the prophet recounts how God like a parent adopted, and nurtured and loved Israel - God’s chosen child.
In fact, I love the beautiful word pictures that the prophet gives us in these verses. Through these verses we can picture in our mind’s eye God being a loving and gentle parent, tenderly caring for his children. Such is the picture Jesus gives us of God in the gospels.
No chapter in all of the Old Testament more graphically depicts God’s love for his people than this one. In fact, one commentator notes the triune character of God’s love that is presented by the prophet Hosea here in these verses. He writes that in verses 3 and 4, God is pictured as a gracious parent who tenderly teaches his little child to walk and is there to pick that child up when he or she falls. In verse 8, God is pictured as a lamenting husband, agonizing over the waywardness of the faithless wife. And then finally, in verses 9 through 11, God is pictured as a loving Savior who does not give up on his children.
Hosea tells us that God went down to Egypt and through Moses adopted and delivered God’s beloved child - Israel from bondage and captivity. God led them into the land of Canaan and made them a great nation. "When Israel was a child, I loved him," God said. "I taught them to walk... I took them up in my arms... I bent down to feed them." Through these words we picture God gathering up his beloved children in his loving arms when they fell and scraped their knees. And yet, we see that the more God worked with Israel and the more God loved them, the more they turned away. They refused to follow the instructions of their parent. They strayed from the Holy One who had loved them. And so do we, time and time again! But listen again to God’s unconditional love for them and for us; "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? …My heart is torn within me; my compassion grows warm and tender." In spite of Israel’s wandering and rebellion, Hosea says, God still loved them as a parent loves his or her child. That, my friends, is a agapé!
The psalmist speaks of this love. He calls it "a steadfast love," which is to say, a constant, dependable, redeeming and delivering love. It is a love that never fails, that is always faithful no matter how unfaithful we are. And certainly we see and experience this through Israel. Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful them and loved them unconditionally. Stephen Brown, in his book If God Is in Charge, tells the story of a young couple, who fell in love and got married. Some six years and three children later, the wife decided, she couldn’t stand it longer and walked out the door. The pressure of trying to raise three children and be a faithful and supportive wife was too much. She didn’t want to change another diaper, give another bath, cook another meal or clean the house any longer. After she left home, occasionally, she would call home to check on her children, and when she did, her husband would always tell her how much he loved her and wished she would come home. Each time she refused. During her time away, she never told her husband where she was staying. But after a number of days, the husband hired a private detective to find his wife. The report was that she was living in a second-class hotel in Des Moines, Iowa. The husband packed his bags, placed the children under the care of a neighbor, and took a bus to Des Moines. He found the hotel and made his way to her room. When he knocked on the door, his hands trembled because he didn’t know the kind of reception he would receive. His wife opened the door, stood for a moment looking at him in shocked silence, then fell into his arms. Later at home, when the children were in bed, he asked her: "Why wouldn’t you tell where you were when you called? You knew I loved you. Why didn’t you come home?" She replied, "Before, your love was just words. But now I know how much you love me because you came looking for me." In Christ Jesus we see the degree, and depth and level of God’s love for us. In Christ Jesus, God came looking for us!
In verse 5 the Lord speaks through the prophet and says; "Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?" The Hebrew word for "repent" shuwb found here in verse 5 is the same Hebrew word translated "return" that is found earlier in this verse. Israel could not remain stationary – they had to return either to the Lord or to bondage. Israel’s refusal to return to the Lord would result in a return to slavery. And the same is true for us. In Christ we are set free!
And then, in verse 6 the prophet uses the word "devour" kâlâh, which is the same Hebrew word translated "fed" that is found in verse 4. The people of Israel had rejected the gentle God, who fed them and provided for their needs; and as a result, they would be devoured by the swords of the invading Assyrians!
God chose Israel for a specific reason. God wanted to use this nation and the people as a witness – they were to bare witness to God’s love and blessings. They were to usher in the Messiah and the age of grace. But they had rejected God’s love and blessing. They had rejected the Savior and Messiah whom God sent. And so, God found a New Israel - the Church! And, friends, God has chosen us in the same way. We must bare witness to God’s love and blessings and, share with the world the Messiah whose coming has made known a God of love and grace.
In John Redhead’s book, Getting to Know God, he tells the story of a little boy named Bradley who, one morning came downstairs for breakfast and put on his mother’s plate a piece of neatly folded paper. When this mother opened it, this is what she read: "Mother owes Bradley: for running errands, 25 cents; for being good, 10 cents; for taking music lessons, 15 cents; extras, 5 cents; total, 55 cents." When lunchtime rolled around, Bradley’s mother placed an itemized bill at his plate along with the 55 cents. Bradley’s eyes brightened when he saw the money, and he was proud of his business ability. But with the money he found a bill which read: "Bradley owes Mother: for being good, 0; for nursing him through his long illness with scarlet fever, 0; for all his meals, room and board, baths, and toys, 0." Bradley got the message and went and got the 55 cents, put it in his mother’s hand and said; "Take all the money back, Mama, and let me love you for nothing." That’s love – that’s agapé! Do you possess such love?
Agapé love is different from the world’s conception of love. It is a love that is not concerned about costs or sacrifice; rather, it is a love that proves true, even when it is difficult even when it is challenged! A love that is not afraid to give of its time, energy or resources.
Pastor and Teacher, Randy Hammer offers his testimony in his sermon; How Far Does Love Go? He writes; "For years I struggled to earn God’s love, but I could never work hard enough and I could never be at peace. Then when I finally understood the unconditional nature of God’s love it was like a revelation that gave me a new lease on life." Hammer goes on to write; "It was then that I began to fully live!"
I often think, what would our world be like, what would our lives be like, what would our families be like, what would our churches be like if such love existed? Let us pray that such a love may be evident in our lives, in our families and especially in this church!
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 11:09 AM
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