The Way
09-18-2009, 01:12 PM
Love and affection for Jesus
How often does the Watchtower publications talk about our love for Jehovah, cultivating a close bond with Jehovah, drawing close to Jehovah. But how often is love towards Jesus mentioned in comparison? One would almost wonder if it is even right for us to talk about having love and affection for Jesus Christ, and drawing close to Jesus! A notable exception however is in the recent Watchtower article of October 15, 2009, „You Are My Friends”, par. 2, where is acknowledged:
Our friendship with him [Jesus] is of utmost importance because being his friends makes us friends of Jehovah too. In fact, it is impossible to draw close to Jehovah without first drawing close to Christ. (Read John 14:6, 21.)
We may however gain a more balanced view, get perspective again by considering all relevant scriptures.
A deeply felt love for Jesus and his sacrifice on behalf of us will initiate a response from the heart, will move us, wanting to reciprocate his love. If one doesn’t really feel this reciprocal love, Christ’s sacrificial death and ransom price might remain a mere abstract, ’technical’ matter.
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15) For the love the Christ has compels us, because this is what we have judged, that one man died for all; so, then, all had died; 15 and he died for all that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised up.
(Ephesians 3:17-19) ... to have the Christ dwell through [YOUR] faith in YOUR hearts with love; that YOU may be rooted and established on the foundation, 18 in order that YOU may be thoroughly able to grasp mentally with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge, that YOU may be filled with all the fullness that God gives.
(Philemon 4-7) I always thank my God when I make mention of you in my prayers, 5 as I keep hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the holy ones;6 in order that the sharing of your faith may go into action by your acknowledging of every good thing among us as related to Christ. 7 For I got much joy and comfort over your love, because the tender affections of the holy ones have been refreshed through you, brother.
Jesus explained what place the love for him should occupy:
(John 14:21, 23-24) He that has my commandments and observes them, that one is he who loves me. In turn he that loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will plainly show myself to him.”
23 In answer Jesus said to him: “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our abode with him. 24 He that does not love me does not observe my words; and the word that YOU are hearing is not mine, but belongs to the Father who sent me.
(John 16:27-28) For the Father himself has affection for YOU, because YOU have had affection for me and have believed that I came out as the Father’s representative. 28 I came out from the Father and have come into the world. Further, I am leaving the world and am going my way to the Father.”
(John 15:9-10) Just as the Father has loved me and I have loved YOU, remain in my love. 10 If YOU observe my commandments, YOU will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.
True, we can’t have exactly the same affection for Jesus as the apostles had as a result of their personal association with Jesus. But even if we have never seen Jesus in person, we are still able to love him:
(1 Peter 1:8) Though YOU never saw him, YOU love him. Though YOU are not looking upon him at present, yet YOU exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an unspeakable and glorified joy
Our love and affection for Jesus should even be stronger than our natural affection for relatives and friends. To put it more precisely: in case there should arise a conflict or struggle between our affections towards Jesus and faith in Jesus on one hand, and towards people we are otherwise on friendly terms with on the other hand, we will remember Jesus’ words:
(Matthew 10:37-39) He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 He that finds his soul will lose it, and he that loses his soul for my sake will find it.
Love for Jesus makes us to love and care for Jesus’ sheep and sheep like persons.
(John 21:15-17) When, now, they had breakfasted, Jesus said to Simon Peter: “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection for you.” He said to him: “Feed my lambs.”16 Again he said to him, a second time: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection for you.” He said to him: “Shepherd my little sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time: “Simon son of John, do you have affection for me?” Peter became grieved that he said to him the third time: “Do you have affection for me?” So he said to him: “Lord, you know all things; you are aware that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him: “Feed my little sheep.
Further points to ponder:
* Do love for Jehovah God and love for Jesus Christ somehow compete with each other or diminish each other?
* In what ways is our love towards Jehovah and towards Jesus expressed differently?
* Are ’love’, ’devotion’ (as in ’godly devotion’, ’exclusive devotion’) and ’worship’ interchangeable concepts?
SUMMARY:
No, it isn’t necessary to start singing gospel songs shouting „Jesus!” or to put a bumper sticker on your car „I LUV JESUS”, but we as witnesses of Jehovah should not hesitate to profess our love for Jesus and acknowledge our personal relationship with Jesus, the beloved Son of our heavenly Father.
Love of the truth
Par. 10 says we must love what we teach. „He must believe that it is true.” But what if we can no longer in good conscience believe certain elements in the teachings that were delivered to us? What if we, by good reasons based on the Scripture and sound logical reasoning -- Jesus’ way of teaching was characterized by „irrefutable logic” says par. 2 -- have reached the conclusion that certain elements are simply not defensible anymore? What should we do, out of love of the truth? Should we nevertheless continue to teach these elements, propagating them onto others, should we insist they accept it as „the truth” and as an essential part of „the good news”? Wouldn’t our very love of truth make us more careful in separating „the primary doctrine of Christ” clearly laid out in the Bible (Heb 6:1) from maybe interesting but nevertheless human and thus fallible interpretations and explanations?
„May the undeserved kindness be with all those loving our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptness” (Eph 6:24)!
How often does the Watchtower publications talk about our love for Jehovah, cultivating a close bond with Jehovah, drawing close to Jehovah. But how often is love towards Jesus mentioned in comparison? One would almost wonder if it is even right for us to talk about having love and affection for Jesus Christ, and drawing close to Jesus! A notable exception however is in the recent Watchtower article of October 15, 2009, „You Are My Friends”, par. 2, where is acknowledged:
Our friendship with him [Jesus] is of utmost importance because being his friends makes us friends of Jehovah too. In fact, it is impossible to draw close to Jehovah without first drawing close to Christ. (Read John 14:6, 21.)
We may however gain a more balanced view, get perspective again by considering all relevant scriptures.
A deeply felt love for Jesus and his sacrifice on behalf of us will initiate a response from the heart, will move us, wanting to reciprocate his love. If one doesn’t really feel this reciprocal love, Christ’s sacrificial death and ransom price might remain a mere abstract, ’technical’ matter.
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15) For the love the Christ has compels us, because this is what we have judged, that one man died for all; so, then, all had died; 15 and he died for all that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised up.
(Ephesians 3:17-19) ... to have the Christ dwell through [YOUR] faith in YOUR hearts with love; that YOU may be rooted and established on the foundation, 18 in order that YOU may be thoroughly able to grasp mentally with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge, that YOU may be filled with all the fullness that God gives.
(Philemon 4-7) I always thank my God when I make mention of you in my prayers, 5 as I keep hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the holy ones;6 in order that the sharing of your faith may go into action by your acknowledging of every good thing among us as related to Christ. 7 For I got much joy and comfort over your love, because the tender affections of the holy ones have been refreshed through you, brother.
Jesus explained what place the love for him should occupy:
(John 14:21, 23-24) He that has my commandments and observes them, that one is he who loves me. In turn he that loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will plainly show myself to him.”
23 In answer Jesus said to him: “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our abode with him. 24 He that does not love me does not observe my words; and the word that YOU are hearing is not mine, but belongs to the Father who sent me.
(John 16:27-28) For the Father himself has affection for YOU, because YOU have had affection for me and have believed that I came out as the Father’s representative. 28 I came out from the Father and have come into the world. Further, I am leaving the world and am going my way to the Father.”
(John 15:9-10) Just as the Father has loved me and I have loved YOU, remain in my love. 10 If YOU observe my commandments, YOU will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.
True, we can’t have exactly the same affection for Jesus as the apostles had as a result of their personal association with Jesus. But even if we have never seen Jesus in person, we are still able to love him:
(1 Peter 1:8) Though YOU never saw him, YOU love him. Though YOU are not looking upon him at present, yet YOU exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an unspeakable and glorified joy
Our love and affection for Jesus should even be stronger than our natural affection for relatives and friends. To put it more precisely: in case there should arise a conflict or struggle between our affections towards Jesus and faith in Jesus on one hand, and towards people we are otherwise on friendly terms with on the other hand, we will remember Jesus’ words:
(Matthew 10:37-39) He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 He that finds his soul will lose it, and he that loses his soul for my sake will find it.
Love for Jesus makes us to love and care for Jesus’ sheep and sheep like persons.
(John 21:15-17) When, now, they had breakfasted, Jesus said to Simon Peter: “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection for you.” He said to him: “Feed my lambs.”16 Again he said to him, a second time: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection for you.” He said to him: “Shepherd my little sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time: “Simon son of John, do you have affection for me?” Peter became grieved that he said to him the third time: “Do you have affection for me?” So he said to him: “Lord, you know all things; you are aware that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him: “Feed my little sheep.
Further points to ponder:
* Do love for Jehovah God and love for Jesus Christ somehow compete with each other or diminish each other?
* In what ways is our love towards Jehovah and towards Jesus expressed differently?
* Are ’love’, ’devotion’ (as in ’godly devotion’, ’exclusive devotion’) and ’worship’ interchangeable concepts?
SUMMARY:
No, it isn’t necessary to start singing gospel songs shouting „Jesus!” or to put a bumper sticker on your car „I LUV JESUS”, but we as witnesses of Jehovah should not hesitate to profess our love for Jesus and acknowledge our personal relationship with Jesus, the beloved Son of our heavenly Father.
Love of the truth
Par. 10 says we must love what we teach. „He must believe that it is true.” But what if we can no longer in good conscience believe certain elements in the teachings that were delivered to us? What if we, by good reasons based on the Scripture and sound logical reasoning -- Jesus’ way of teaching was characterized by „irrefutable logic” says par. 2 -- have reached the conclusion that certain elements are simply not defensible anymore? What should we do, out of love of the truth? Should we nevertheless continue to teach these elements, propagating them onto others, should we insist they accept it as „the truth” and as an essential part of „the good news”? Wouldn’t our very love of truth make us more careful in separating „the primary doctrine of Christ” clearly laid out in the Bible (Heb 6:1) from maybe interesting but nevertheless human and thus fallible interpretations and explanations?
„May the undeserved kindness be with all those loving our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptness” (Eph 6:24)!