The voice of Jesus. That same voice which we hear in the accounts recorded by Matthew and John, the voice we hear echoed in Paul’s words, the voice which John hears saying “Behold I stand at the door and knock”, the voice which, in our prayers a moment ago, we said we want to hear.  Have we made time to listen I wonder?  Have we heard not just His voice but also His words, have we obeyed?  If we are honest with ourselves our answer will be at best “not enough” and more probably “not at all”.  So, as we listen, what is He saying to us?  I believe that what he is saying is quite simply this:  “You have tried your own way, now look around you - is it working?  No. I made you and called you to live in love.  Will you trust me and live life my way?  Will you live in love?”

As we hear that challenge I believe we need to look at three areas of our lives in which Jesus calls us to live in love.

The first is WITHIN OUR CHURCH, both as a local congregation and as the people called Methodists in this land.

As Jesus came to Jerusalem and as events unfolded leading towards Good Friday, it is clear that equipping His disciples for a future without Him, physically, in their midst, was very much on His mind.  John records for us a tremendous volume of teaching on various subjects, much of it concerning the relationship between Jesus and His Father and Jesus and His disciples.  It is in this context that He commands them, at least twice, to “love one another”.  It is interesting that He was speaking to men who would go out in His Name, spreading the gospel, establishing churches, healing the sick, performing all kinds of miracles, but is not any of these which will mark them out as His followers - no, it will be their love for each other.

I don't know how many of you were at the recent District Choir Festival.  It was an enjoyable occasion.  For me, however, it will be memorable not merely for the music but for our then President, Rev Ken Best’s powerful message.  He challenged us with regard to living in God’s “topsy-turvy” kingdom.    God’s attitudes to living which, when viewed from the worldly perspective in which we live, appear topsy-turvy.  And this is another example.  God calls us to something which appears to be topsy-turvy.  Of all the things which He could have chosen as the hallmark of His people, He chooses the one thing which is least easy to highlight in public.  Love.  Just think for a moment.  We have all heard of various famous evangelists, who have had a great ministry in spreading the gospel.  But we also have heard of those whose private lives have been at odds with their preaching.  We have known of great church-planters, but we also know the frailty of churches built around one charismatic leader.  We’ve experienced, I’m sure, episodes of healing where it has obviously been the divine work of the Holy Spirit but also those episodes where emotionalism, mind-over-matter and the supposedly wonderful healing ministry of the visiting speaker have been the order of the day. Yes, in all these areas we have seen the hand of God at work, mightily for all to see and we have rejoiced, but all too often we have seen the efforts and self-glorification of man posing as the hand of God.  Not so with the love which Jesus calls us to show for each other.  There can be no faking that.  Make no mistake, the call that He first made to those 12 men He repeats to us now.  He says “As the Father has love Me, so I have loved you” and “As I have love you so you must love each other”.  Here is true love, sacrificial love, love which shies away from self-publication, a self-effacing love which truly puts the other first.  Jesus goes further than “do onto others as you would have them do onto you”.  He is in effect saying “do onto others what I would do”.  At first sight, when we hear Jesus say “Love each other”, it sounds easy.  But as we ponder what He means, as we examine the standard and nature of the love He requires, we are overwhelmed.  It’s a tall order!  It is not one which we can meet in our own strength and not one that we have really taken seriously.

You think perhaps I am mistaken.  Consider this:  How real is our practical, loving concern for our fellow members within this church today?  What are its limits?  With whom can we share our innermost thoughts, burdens and joys, and for whom are we available to share their most innermost thoughts, burdens and joys?  To what extent do we put our fellows first?  Would we suffer with them, would we suffer instead of them?  Are we prepared to lay down our lives that our brothers and sisters might live?  And with regard to our Methodist family (or connection) let us ask those same questions.  Where are the limits of our love and care and concern?  How much of our comforts are we prepared to forego that they might gain?  I firmly believe that if we were to even touch upon the quality of love to which Jesus calls us as Methodists here in this church and as a Methodist family here in Ireland, we would see an end to debt in our churches, an end to financial pressures within our connection, a flourishing of kindness and compassion which could scale all obstacles.  There would be such a Christ-like beauty about both our people and our church life that we could set the country on fire and all of Ireland would sit up and take notice.  Jesus calls us today to live in love in our local church and as a connection - will we?

If at first it seems easy to love those with whom we agree, then it must be more difficult to love those with whom we disagree.  But it’s exactly this issue that is the second area we need to examine.  OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS.  John Wesley, writing and preaching on what he termed “the catholic spirit” (by which he means a universal and all encompassing spirit) uses as his text that incident that we read in 2 Kings 10:12 where Jehu and Jehonadab meet.

These were two very different men.  They were from differing backgrounds and have very different values, lifestyles and different goals in life.  Jehu is a military commander, a soldier with ambitions to be king.  He is not particularly religious.  He is, at times, unscrupulous and deceitful.  He basically uses whatever tactics bring him maximum advantage with scant regard for the consequences of others.  He has no qualms about killing off not only the ruling family in Israel but also a large part of the ruling family in Judah too.  He was determined to enjoy the benefits of the settled life in Caanan.  Jehonadab on the other hand is very different.  He is a pious man, utterly devoted to God’s service.  He is a nomad, committed to simplicity of lifestyle.  His ambitions are for reform in Israel, a returning to God.  He is a pacifist and somewhat reclusive.  Two very different men; yet we find Jehonadab en route to meet Jehu and able to agree with him when they meet up.  What possible common ground could there be between two such men?  Simply this, they both wished to see an end to the Baal-worship in Israel and to see an end to Ahab and his family as punishment for the wrong that had been done against Israel.  And so it is that Jehonadab the nomad, goes to meet Jehu the soldier.  Jehonadab does not entirely approve of Jehu’s methods but when challenged by Jehu, he acknowledges their commonality of purpose, accepts Jehu’s hand and lends him his support.  He could have berated Jehu for his bloodthirsty tactics and his lack of true commitment to God, but he puts his reservations to one side and gives Jehu the support he needs.  Here indeed was a man who was not only principled but astute and wise.  He recognised that this was a time for unity, despite their sincerely held differences.

Have we learnt what Jehonadab knew or are we still holding back from our fellow-Christians?  In the face of a common enemy, are we, as a church, still trying to score theological points off one another rather than engaging in concerted and united action?  Do we concentrate on our differences instead of our oneness in Christ?   Jesus makes it very clear that he expects his followers to be united, rather than split into innumerable independent factions.  He expects us to love our fellow Christians, even if we cannot entirely agree with all that they think or say or do.  If we are to do so then we must learn to see them as souls for whom Jesus died and whom he has redeemed.  We need to learn humility; humility that acknowledges that we neither know it all nor are able to do it all.  We need to learn that we do not possess any monopoly with regard for the truth.  We need to learn that our ways are not necessarily the only ways, or even the best ways. We need to recognise and acknowledge our common faith in Jesus Christ.  We need to acknowledge our common purpose.  We need to learn from each other and learn to be tolerant of differing opinions.  We need to learn to distinguish between those differences which are merely to do with style and tradition or peripheral questions and those which are of real importance.  Others are every bit as sincere in what they believe as we are.  We need to learn, as Jehonadab knew, when to set our differences aside and work together in unity of purpose to the Glory of God.

Love, however, is the key.  If we are prepared to love those with whom we disagree, to show Christ’s love to them, then all things are possible.  Indeed it is essential, for without love there will be no trust and without trust there will be no unity.  As long as we continue to argue and dispute amongst ourselves we fail to face up to our common enemy.  Jesus calls us today to live in love with our fellow Christians - will we?

He calls us to love each other, to love those with whom we disagree and also to love THOSE WHOME WE PERCEIVE TO BE OUR ENEMIES.  If the first and second challenges are difficult, surely this third one is impossible.  How is it possible to love one's enemies?

Jesus calls us to do exactly that.  He says “ Your have heard that it was said ... but I say onto you".  This really does turn the world’s values upside down.  Our natural reaction to one whom we perceive as an enemy is to engage our defences, to strike back when we are struck, to punish every attack, sometimes to even attempt to destroy entirely the potential attacker.  In our country, when the terrorist commits murder or destroys property, is not our first thought towards them that they should be apprehended and punished.  Of course, it’s only natural!  It’s the way we are.   Yes indeed, but Jesus calls us not to the natural but the different reaction.  It is very difficult not to react in the natural way.  We believe evil should not go unpunished, and neither it should, but so often we cross the line between punishment and vengeance, and it is not our place to extract vengeance - that is God’s prerogative.  We believe that evil should be resisted and the weak and vulnerable in our society protected, and that is entirely correct - but Jesus reminds us that, in our personal encounters, there are occasions when it is better not to resist an evil man.  It is so easy to get drawn into using evil to combat evil.  Just look at Jehu.  Can we really say that God was pleased with the bloodthirsty way in which Jehu accomplished the task which he had been given?  I don’t think so.  No sooner had Jehu achieved the throne than he found his kingdom being taken from him bit by bit.  And God told him that his dynasty would only last four generations.  He had used evil to conquer evil and God was not pleased.  Rather Paul reminds us to overcome evil with good.  We are to be those who show God’s love to all - no matter what the circumstances.

So how can we love our enemies in practice?  By prayer, by presenting to them the claims of God upon their lives, perhaps even by confronting them with the reality of the final outcome of their conduct.  And all the time, while not condoning their conduct, still treating them with the same gentleness, kindness and courtesy we extend to all.  Yes, it is very difficult but which is better, for the sinner to be punished and having been punished to go out and sin again, or for the sinner to repent and be forgiven and sin no more?  The world’s way is to lock up the offender and forget about them, but God’s way is to take that prisoner and turn their life around.  We are called to live in love - love even toward our enemies.  Will we?

What Jesus calls us to do seems difficult at least, and in some regards, impossible, so how can we do it?  It appears utterly beyond us and indeed as long as we rely on our own strength and understanding, it is beyond us.  But we are not alone.  We don’t have to rely on our own resources alone.  God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, provides every resource we need - be it strength, patience, understanding, resolve, whatever.  If we let Him, He will help and guide us.  He is the key.  Dwelling within us, making it possible for us to share that love in every area of our lives.  With Him and through Him, nothing is impossible.

Jesus calls us today to live in love:
-   in our local church and as Methodists in Ireland
-   in our dealings with other Christians and their communities
-   in our dealings with those we perceive as our enemies.

Will we do it?  We most certainly can, by the in-dwelling of the power of the Holy Spirit, but will we?  I pray that we will all take up Jesus’ challenge and truly learn to live in love and peace.  AMEN.
 

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