Year of God’s love must be understood from the perspectives love is taught in the Bible. Love in the Bible is introduced to us at different levels.
Friendship love
This is a level that many need but also need to work at it. When we are superficial we can call everyone a friend. Not until you work with them, stay with them or partner with them. When we see weaknesses in one another, friendships can be a slippery thing.
When Jesus spoke of friendship (John 15) it was rather deep; too deep for our comfort maybe. He spoke about laying down our lives for another. My encouragement is this; start somewhere. We need friends and they are better than enemies. Long term ones are even better as they have been tried by time.
Brotherly love
This is where sometimes people say blood is thicker than water. But it actually works better when brotherly love is also based on friendship love. Jesus is our friend and brother even though He is King. This is awesome. Brothers take care of siblings. They may have misunderstanding and may be disappointing at times, but it is of the same DNA in the blood line of Jesus Christ. It reconciles. Spiritually we should have a higher level of bonding.
Eros love
This is marital love. This is “Adam knew Eve” kind of love. It is meant to bring out the deepest of love and passion one human being can have for another in their marriage with the opposite sex. It is love that gives us the experience of how God loves His Church as His bride. It is the love that brings forth offspring that give parents the experience of loving children like God loving His children. It is love that is passionate, spontaneous and yet learnt so that it lasts. There is a counterfeit of this type of love. We see that in movies. It is called lust and it does not last. A Chinese saying: “marriage love is like a pot of water over the ambers of a small fire stove that takes a long time to boil. When it does, it gives steam that is burning hot. It is very good.”
Agape love
This is Christ kind of love. It is sacrificial love. It was love that caused Christ to empty himself of the glory of heaven to come down to earth. It was love that caused him to bear the 39 stripes on his body, breaking it beyond recognition. It was love that nailed Jesus on the cross. It was love that kept him there. It was love that chose you and I, even though we do not qualify. It was love that gave us access to the King of kings to call him Father.
Life is complex. So is love. We need to balance our lives with all these 4 types of love. The fullness of life is better achieved if we have the richness of these perspectives of love.
Love,
Pastor Jeremiah & Susan Yap
Group Senior Pastor
New Life Restoration Centre
我们必需依据圣经关于爱的教导来理解‘神慈爱的一年’。圣经 所讲述的爱是有不同的层次。
朋友间的爱
多数人都需要这个层次的爱但此爱必须用心去经营它。如果我 们只注重表面,我们可以把每一个人当作朋友,而不需等到 你与他们一起工作、和他们同住或同工时。当我们互相看见彼此 的弱点时,友情就不踏实。
耶稣在约翰十五章所讲述的爱是非常深入地令我们感到不安, 他说我们应为别人而摆上自己的生命。我对大家的鼓励是: 从某一点开始,我们需要朋友总比让他们成为我们的敌人好。 更好的是能维持长时间的友情因它是可经历时间的考验。
手足间的爱
常有人说血浓于水,但实际上如果手足间的爱也能建立在朋友 间爱的基楚上,那会更好。耶稣虽然是王但他也是我们的朋 友和兄弟,这是多可畏的事实!兄弟姐妹会互相照顾,虽然 有时会发生误会、会感到失望但彼此间因着有同样耶稣的血 缘关系,他们可以和好。在灵里我们应该有更高层次的联系。
夫妻间的爱(Eros)
这是夫妻间的爱。这是“亚当认识夏娃”式的爱。它能够把人 与异性结合后所产生的那种挚深入的爱和情感带出来。这种 爱让我们体会到神是如何的像爱新妇般地爱教会。是爱让父 母能体会到像神爱他的孩子们般地爱他们的后裔。这种爱是 热忱、自发但需要学习以致能持久,可是此爱可以被冒充。 我们从电影上看到,它是肉欲,不能持久。中国人有句话说: “婚姻的爱就像一壶放在小火炉上的水,需要很长的时间 才能煮沸。当它煮沸后,就会散发出热腾腾的蒸汽,那是非常的 好”。
神的爱(Agape)
这是基督式的爱,是牺牲的爱。就是这种爱促使基督放下天上 的荣耀来到世上,同时让他愿意承受使自己皮开肉裂的三十 九鞭,被钉死在十架上,并且留在十架上。就是这种爱拣选 了不配的你和我,使我们能到万王之王的面前称呼他为天父。
生命是非常复杂,爱也如此。我们必须让这四种爱在生命中取得 平衡。 当我们享有这些爱时就能拥有丰盛的生命了。
爱你们的
叶超群总主任牧师夫妇