Rebecca Davis  Ranson, West Virginia

The late great Whitney Houston sang a song, The Greatest Love of All. As a teenager who was thinking about becoming a teacher, the song was very profound. It talked about teaching the children well and allowing them to lead the way because they are the future. When you’re in a lonely place, as I often was, to depend on myself. The one quote that stands out the most is, of course, “Because the greatest Love of all is happening to me, I found the greatest Love of all inside of me!”

 

I’m not sure what greatest love of all she was referring to in her song. I’m pretty certain that for me at the time it was self love and self reliance. That was before I knew the love of Christ. Love takes on a whole new meaning when you experience the love that Christ has for you. After all, no greater love than a man lay down his life for a friend. (John 15:13) Glory be to God that He gave his son for us. He allowed His only son to come to Earth born of the Virgin Mary to eventually die to eradicate our sin! Examples of love are found all through the Bible.

 

What a great man Joseph must have been to have the unconditional love for Mary that he trusted her and did not cast her out. She had become with child and glaringly obvious to him this was not his biological baby. Instead of anger, he prayed. He protected her and led her to a safe place to have their son. He took Baby Jesus as his own and trained him up in the way he should go, the son of a carpenter.

 

Elizabeth, who was also with child, met with Mary. Out of love she kept her secret and believed in her. Thankfully, God gave them a sign as Elizabeth’s baby, John, leapt in her womb when they met.

 

Let’s not forget her son, John, who didn’t show jealously but honor, respect, and love for Jesus. John knew Jesus was the Messiah. He said that greater comes after me. He was preparing the people for the great man who would come. He didn’t feel himself worthy to baptize Jesus because he knew just how great a man who he was baptizing. He chose to epitomized obedience and baptized him as an example of the love that we should have for our fellow man.

 

Jesus had a circle of His true few that dropped everything and followed Him. Jesus had a circle of a few that would honor Him. John was one example. Another is Mary who found it priceless to use an expensive oil to bathe Jesus’ feet with her hair in the midst of those who found it wasteful. Jesus, himself, washed his friends’ feet as a sign of love and an example of the servitude that it means to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Sarah out of love and obedience to her husband followed his leadership into precarious situations. She had the unwavering  love of a wife and trust in her husband. She even had faith in him and God when Abraham left with their son with no offering in sight to make a sacrifice. Two bound together with the third cord of the Lord is stronger than without the third cord of love that binds them.

 

Moses had enough love for his people that he went against the family that raised him. He honored his calling from God and toiled despite his preconceived flaw, stuttering, to set his people to freedom. It wouldn’t have been possible without the love of a mother risking her life hiding and protecting her son and that of a sister setting him afloat in the Nile. How great the love of a princess who adopted Moses and raised him as her own despite the risk of the death penalty!

 

There are too numerous accounts of love throughout the Bible to count. These few examples are nothing in comparison to how God’s word teaches us to love. Husband to wife, wife to husband, parent to child, child to parent, friend to friend, family member to family member, servant to stranger. Jesus saved our souls through God’s sacrifice of His son. We should not take that for granted. We should show that same great love to those around us!

 

Love doesn’t always come easy! Do not think it was easy for God to sacrifice for us. Do not think it was easy for Jesus to hang on that cross for us. It couldn’t have been easy for Joseph to risk his life for Mary. Countless mothers, maybe even your own, didn’t have an easy road; yet still loved. But love truly does conquer all. Love covers a multitude of sin.

 

What does it mean to you to love? The Bible spells it out in verses 4-8 of 1 Corinthians chapter 13.  (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

 

In Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV) the Bible instructs us to love our neighbor. The neighbor he refers to is everyone we encounter. Just as Jesus loves the sinner, you and me, we are to love one another, even our “enemy.”

 

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

With the many examples and teachings of unconditional love shown here, how are we measuring up?

 

As we ponder this question and scrutinize our own lives, I’ll leave you with one of most touching examples of love that I have found in the Bible. As Jesus hung on the cross for us in front of the multitude, He showed love not only in His sacrifice so that we may live as joint heirs. He showed love to a sinner, one of whom hung next to him. He bestowed love to His mother. As He clung to life, he made sure His mom had someone to care for her after he left this human life. John 19:26-27 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. How are we carrying out His love today?

The greatest love of all is in me and you. The greatest love of all is the love of Christ.

 

Prayer: Lord, our Father, loving God. We honor you and glorify your name. As you showed us great mercy and love, we praise you! If you were to never do any other thing for us, your love is enough. Forgive us Lord where we have missed the mark in our love of others. Thank you for the many Biblical and human examples of love that you have given us. Continue to teach us and guide us to love unconditionally as you have so that we can truly be the light! In Jesus name. Amen

 

Memory verse: 1 John 4:7 (KJV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.