Last week I closed out my sermon by saying if you want to have true joy, then "learn what it means to love." (working from John 15:9-11) The challenge this week is to help folks learn what that actually means. I'm working from the Gospel which is Joseph's dream and I'm thinking that I want to move toward the aspect of love being a sacrifice that allows Christ to be born in another - that love is of course conceived in God - but am wondering if this is still too much of an anthropocentric approach to defining love.
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I'm not sure either Father John, but I'm going to go look up anthropocentric and get back to you on that.
Having consulted first the dictionary and then the Bible, I think I understand your quandary. Though personal sacrifice for the benefit of another (or others) is an important manifestation of human love, it may not be broad enough to be the central tenet. I will read this week's sermon with great interest to see where you land.
In the midst of it is the truth that not only is Jesus fully God, but He is also fully man. Not only did Jesus as God make the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation, but Jesus as man did as well. And the command is to love as I have loved you... my goodness, I'll be interested to see where it lands. :)
To me it is the central tenet, to you love as I have loved you, what else is there?
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