1 John 4:11-21

love.  what amazing topic.  what a profound lifestyle.  what a way to miss the point!

the most important thought that i still have lingering from yesterday’s sermon is how easy it is to miss the point.  language is so significant.  how we define the words in the bible can completely change the meaning of the text.  we need careful study and interpretation.  and the cool thing is that it can be done!

two words, if improperly defined, can undercut this entire passage…but if properly defined can revolutionize our lives.  the first is the word ought.

john writes in verse eleven, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”   the way i was raised, when my parents said that i ought to do something, it meant it was optional…a choice…a good idea that i was free to use or reject as i saw fit.  you ought to clean your room or cut your hair or do your homework or help mom with the dishes or stop calling your little brother names.  it might have been implied that it was something that i had to do, but as long as they included the word ought, it was still optional.

not so in the greek world.  in the mind of john, the word opheilomen (in greek) means “to owe money or a debt that is due”.  the love that we are to show to each other is not optional.  it is a debt that is owed.  the right translation totally changes the command from optional to imperative…essential…urgent…a must.

the other word is agape.  selfless, sacrificial, unconditional action given in the best interest of another person…not earned, or deserved, or merited in any way…with no expectation of anything in return.  it is a choice…a deliberate action of the will…not a feeling…not an emotion…the example of jesus on the cross.

that’s the kind of love we “owe” to each other.