Just Love

Reflection for Sunday October 29, 2023 

For Churchill and Gilford United Churches 

Krista M. Moore 

Deuteronomy 34:1–12 

Moses dies and is buried in Moab. 

Matthew 22:34–46 

Love God; love your neighbour as yourself. 

Introduction to the Scriptures:  

Imagine Moses at the end of his life:  

I am tired.  

I have been walking with these grumbling Israelites for over 40 years.  God has given us everything. Water to drink. Food to eat.  I have strength because of God.  

I have sight because God gave it to me.  

If I have any wisdom, it is from Him.  

I still tremble to think of all that we have been through.  

I have done my best to follow His commandments. I’m not perfect. I got  angry and frustrated at times at the people.  

The people, ah, the people, they are difficult. They don’t always listen.  We have been circling around because they would not listen. They tested  God continually. They were not ready to trust God. 

But now, God is saying to me, Yes, now, they can enter the Promised  Land. But not you. You are done.  

Yes, it is time for me to join my ancestors. It is time for a new teacher to  come.  

God will send another teacher, and then they will finally see;  then they will finally listen, then, they will finally understand! 

Now imagine Jesus who is being questioned in the Temple by the  Pharisees and Sadducees, the Teachers of the Law.  

These Pharisees and Sadducees, the Teachers of the Law, are circling me  like vultures.  

They want to entrap me in the Law that Moses wrote. But I know the  law well. God gave it to them to preserve them, to protect them. To teach  them how to love God and others. But they did not listen to Moses, and  now they do not listen to me.  

It is useless Father, what will I do with this generation? They are like  vultures, ready to kill me.  

When will they listen to You?  

When will they understand that  

You are Love, and not war and violence.  

Not anger and pride and rage?  

They murder the prophets and oppress widows and orphans.  There is no justice in the land anywhere.  

Only You, God are just.  

God, teach them how to love. 

You are Love.  

It is so simple really, too simple for this world.  

Love God and love one another.  

Just – Love.  

SERMON 

We’ve just heard the incredible sacrifices Moses and Jesus made to  teach us how to love.  

But, What is love?  

(Don’t worry, I’m not going to break out into Shakespeare or a  sappy love song.) 

Paul the apostle tried to describe love in the great love poem of the  Bible, Corinthians 13, which we heard at Keith Kell’s funeral.  Love is patient, love is kind.  

Paul also writes in Corinthians, “Do all things with love.”  And, “Love will cover a multitude of sins.” (meaning mistakes or  misteps). 

In other words, love is something we can do; it’s something we  can BE. I can also UNDO something like an unkindness or unfairness. If  we add a kind act of love, if we are patient and giving, or forgiving.  

It’s not easy to love. It wasn’t easy for Moses, and it wasn’t  easy for Jesus. 

I think another good word for love is FORBEARANCE. It’s an  old-fashioned word, but this is what it means:  

“Tolerance and restraint in the face of provocation.”  

Or “the act of giving a debtor more time to pay rather than  immediately enforcing a debt.”  

Love is patient. Love is kind.  

Anyone who is married may have some knowledge of  FORBEARANCE, that love involves patience or restraint! It is not easy to love.  

Some loved ones like to press our buttons, don’t they? We won’t  point out who you are . Right, Steve?

People who “love” each other know all our weaknesses and  faults, and so it’s easy to provoke us. We all have different personalities,  wants and desires, so how are we supposed to love others as ourselves?  

If anyone thought love was easy, they don’t know love. (At least  not on this earth.) 

The Greeks defined many kinds of love – 

like eros for physical or romantic love,  

philia for friendship, storge for family love,  

and agape for unconditional love or sacrificing oneself for love,  like Jesus did for us. Or like you will do for your children or parents.  In fact, the early Christians called their communion suppers an  “Agape feast” meaning “Love feast.”  

People would gather who didn’t even know each other, to break  bread with one another and share fellowship,  

remembering Christ’s sacrifice and love for them,  

so they would love and serve each other as Jesus taught them.  And we do this to this day. 

EXAMPLE 1: CHURCH SUPPER  

Last week we also enjoyed the Gilford chicken dinner. And though  it was not a Communion Supper, I think it was still an Agape feast.  Many of you pitched in to prepare tables, organize food, count tickets,  welcome and serve folks who are not necessarily “members” of our  church, but friends and family from in and around the area. And we  prayed and I blessed the meal.  

I saw people I only see once or twice a year at these suppers.  And we had a grand time talking and catching up.  

Some people’s eyes sparkled as they told stories and laughed. And  when I asked how the food was, everyone practically cried out,  “Delicious!”  

There was joy in the room, and it ended with a friendly whipped  cream fight where Denise won over her cousin.  

Love can also be joyful, playful – which is ludus in Greek. Some  sacrificed their time, and their own needs, or deferred their hunger til 8 o  clock. Then those who served ate. No one complained. They did it for  the community. Yes, it also brings in financial support for the church, but 

I would say the church is not the church without the people who come to  the suppers, or wander in through its doors on occasion –who come from  outside its walls to spend time with each other in fellowship and  communion – to commune and be as one. Especially after covid. For  some, it was their only outing in a long, long time.  

It was an act of love, a way of loving one’s neighbour. Love can  involve sacrifice and hard work. The preparations. And Love can be  fun, the community, the love we share with one another.  

EXAMPLE 2: HOW TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOUR: TRAFFIC If someone cuts you off on the road, wouldn’t it be so easy to get  mad and curse that person and shake your fist (or something worse) at  them?  

What if we overlooked their unkindness and waved instead, as if  they were a friend. And smiled excitedly. That would really throw them  off! Or simply let them go by and not get upset. 

I often talk out loud to the people though they can’t hear me. Why  are you in such a hurry? Is it worth it to beat me by 6 seconds? What is  so important that you must brush me off?  

When we walk the dogs along Yonge Street I am often baffled by  the ones who blaze through without thinking – hey, there are people  living here, and dogs and kids, and old people. Do you care? 

It’s easy to get upset. And I do believe we need a traffic light or  cross walk, and I have even advocated for that at Town Hall. Welcome to  Innisfil! I am now a resident.  

But how do I love someone like that who just doesn’t seem to  care? Who seems to put themselves above others, even to their  detriment? Meaning they could have a fatal accident. God forbid.  

If you are one of those people, please forgive me. I’m not judging  here. I have been the one who speeds too, so I get it. We all forget  sometimes. It’s easy to rush and forget the basics. 

But loving is in everyday acts, and caring and honouring that other  people are just as important as me.  

Here’s how we can love our neighbour as ourself:

For the love of God, and love of neighbour:  

SLOW DOWN.  

Unless you’re an ambulance or a fire truck or a cop (I confess I  may have had a couple speeding tickets I regret, so Barry or Neil, please  don’t look me up!).  

Now I try to be more conscious and aware of others, and SLOW. DOWN.  

EXAMPLE 3: LOVING NEIGHBOUR – CHRISTMAS 4 KIDS Another example is making sure others have their basic needs met. Like food, clothes, and water. It is easy to give when we are fortunate.  Love is caring about others as much as we care about our own families.  Someone else’s child is just as important as mine. What if it were my  child that didn’t have a warm coat or boots?  

Last week I got to witness and participate for a couple of hours  with Christmas 4 Kids, and I had to stop and take a deep breath and  realize what we were doing. There were over 100 bags on the floor, and  all had to be filled with newly purchased warm coats and boots for 

nearly 350 kids. It was mind-boggling. But the organizers and a few  volunteers just buzzed like bees to get it done.  

One volunteer stopped and teared up and said, I just look at these  bags and think of the kids who will receive them. It is hard to imagine.  I admit it wasn’t a huge sacrifice for me. It felt so good to do  something helpful and tangible that makes a difference. It’s not easy, it  takes a bit of time – but others sacrificed more – some of the organizers  were up all night organizing and labelling and tracking families’ needs.  Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is sacrificial. Doing the  impossible to help someone else. Doing all things with love. Does that mean we don’t feed ourselves or take care of our needs  or protect ourselves if someone is abusive? No, of course not. It means  we love people with an unconditional love, even if we don’t know them,  or they don’t seem to deserve it.  

Christ’s love gives us courage and FORBEARANCE, to do  impossible things. 

Like forgive someone who has hurt us. Even God. 

Sometimes it’s hard to love when we don’t feel loved, or when we  feel alone. We may not have that special person, or relationship or  family anymore. We may have lost loved ones, or faced death, divorce,  or difficult circumstances.  

Where is the love then? Where is God’s love? 

Love is in the community. Agape. Jesus wanted us to be together  to find and give God’s love, to be God’s love to each other in the  world. 

So if you don’t feel love, or if you feel like God has abandoned  you, love is right here. In this community. We want to be there for  you.  

Please reach out and let us show you love. Reach out to me, or to  anyone in this congregation. If you are going through a hard time or feel  alone, God is with you, here in this community, in all the people of  this church. Let us be that love for you. As we sang at the beginning: “Come in, Come in and Sit Down, You are a Part of the Family.”

So, how can we all be more loving, patient, kind, and yes, even  sacrificial at times for the ones we love, and even those we don’t know?  Krista’s Three Things:  

1. In traffic, Slow down, and let people in, and forgive the ones  who don’t.  

2. Join a community. Be in communion with those who are  loving and kind. Then extend that kindness to a stranger, welcome someone new to church, so we can continue Jesus’s  Agape Feast of love. 

3. Remember, God loves you. Jesus loves you. You are not alone.  And because of this, we can love God. When it’s difficult to  love, do it for Jesus, because he did it for you. And now he  sends you – Go out and love. Do all things for love.  

Amen.