short sermon


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By Johannes Brandtzæg

Short sermon

Brotherly love

"I'm giving you a new commandment: Love one another! Love one another as I have loved you. By your loving one another everybody will know you are my disciples."
Joh. 13, 34-35.

It is a well known thing, for all of us, that there are several kinds of love. We can mention, love between friends, maternal love, patriotism, love for your neighbour etc. Among all these different kinds of love, there is one that, holds a unique position. It is the love, the Bible calls, brotherly love.

It is the word about this, Jesus called "a new commandment." What is the meaning of this? The meaning is; that, this love is something new, in the world. It had not been known before, because it had not existed before. This kind of love has, namely, its cause, and constantly source, in Jesus Christ. In His person and work, and in the "ifeconnection" with Jesus, that binds all of His disciples together in one body. A living, distinctive, characteristic, organism. Therefore, this love could not have come to existence, before Jesus had come.

It is not right to say, that it was not something, that was like the brotherly love, in the Old Testament. For instance, it is written in Psalm 133: "Se how good and pleasant it is for brothers to live in unity." But, that is more of an intimation, and a sprouting beginning, than a clear revelation, of a real fact. - This love is a new love, that belongs to a new age, and a new covenant. Therefore, it has got a new name, in the New Testament: "Brotherly love, the christian brotherly love."

When this is, the true and real meaning, of Jesus' word, it also follows; that, "to love the brethren," is one of the signs, you shall be able, to recognize a christian by. A christian, without christian brotherly love, is according to the Scripture, an impossible thing. "We know we have come from death into life, because we love our fellow Christians." 1 Joh. 3, 14. It is true that, it is often defective and weak, -but, if there are real life in God, it has to be there. A christian must, feel in spiritual family, with fellow christians, wherever in the world he might be.

But the Christian, brotherly love, has very difficult circumstances, to live under, in this world. It is weakened, and suppressed, by so many irrelevant things, as for instance, that there aremany different meanings, about more and less, important things. Or, there are lack of natural sympathy, or other such things, that separates one man from the other. Under such circumstanses, the brotherly love, often have to go through, huge struggles, before it can come to its right, and unite the separated, in one spirit.

That is why Jesus is speaking, so seriously and urgent to His disciples, about it. "I'm giving you a new commandment." It is not something that we can choose to do, or let be, according to our own meanings, or want. It is a commandment! Love the one you like, and love the one you dislike. Love the one who shares your wievs, and love the one who doesn't. Love him, like a brother in Christ, as long as you don't dare to deny, that he is a christian. Here is just one law: "Love him, because he is a disciple of Jesus."

But is there not any danger, in this love? Namely this; that it limitates us, so we are getting cold and indifferent, in our attitude, towards others, who is not christians? If that is the result for any of us; our brotherly love, is a sick love. In one or the other way, it has a lack, caused by a bad mistake. Because, if it is of the right kind, the word of the Scripture prevails: "In brotherly love, love for everyone."

"The God of love," will, in His mercy, give every christian, all that he needs, to love the brethrens, and to love everyone. That is what, we in Jesus Christ, has been called to. It is our great privilege.

But if you, my reader, don't feel comfortable, among the christians, and have no pleasure of, what they enjoys as christians, it is about time that you stop and asks yourself. "I'm I a christian, or I'm I not?"