The Power of Love

Daniel 6:19-28; Matthew 8:28-9:2; 1^st John 4:19-5:5

Rev. Chris Harbin, Rocks Baptist Church—Pamplin, VA

19 September 2004

When we think of love, power is not the first thing that pops into our heads. We think more often of violence, pain, destruction, and disaster. We associate power with chaos, death, and upheaval. Jesus gave us a very different understanding of power—the giving of life, restoration, and embracing another in the service of love. Why is that such a hard concept for us to grasp? Do we believe in the power of love—God’s power to restore, accept, forgive, and make whole?

King Darius was caught by surprise at the power of God’s love. He had exerted the power and might of his position as King of Babylon. He had demanded that all pray only to him, enjoying the power that such an edict gave him over the people. He had enjoyed a new level of control in the realm of political power, and yet had apparently lost one of his best servants to his hunger for even greater power and control.

Daniel had prayed to Yahweh as was his custom. He had not bowed to the king’s power, but had remained steadfast in serving Yahweh, knowing fully that it could cost him his life. In the midst of his turmoil, God’s love shone through. God’s love and power was not subject to the king’s whims, scepter, or power to control through fear of execution. God’s love was not limited by death, for love has the power to restore what force can only destroy. Love has the power to build, rebuild, grant hope, and make new.

Darius recognized that while he had destroyed many nations with fire and sword, Yahweh’s kingdom would ever stand. Earthly power mongers can kill and maim, break down and pillage. God can grant life where there was only death, disaster, and carnage. This is a greater power than the power we are wont to live by. We cringe before the ravages of storms like Isabel and Ivan, the threats of terrorist attacks and disasters, the retaliation of those who have control over aspects of our lives. Daniel chose instead to bow to the One whose love gives life, restores, rebuilds, and makes whole again. That kind of love has a greater power.

Jesus repeatedly dealt with people, including the disciples, who did not understand power. In Gedara, the swineherds were overwhelmed by the demonstration of power on the part of the evil spirits, forgetting Jesus power to restore and give life. They focused on their own inadequacy and their fears in regard to their own misuse of power and influence—their lack of self-control. When they saw Jesus cleanse the men, expelling the demons, rather than love and wonder, they were filled with fear, for they did not understand love. They could not grasp the power of love to heal, make whole, to restore.

When Jesus came across the paralytic, He focused His attention on the greatest issue at hand—not the paralysis, but the broken relationship with God. We focus our eyes on destruction—on all the things that are contrary to our will. Jesus focuses on the internal issues of character, love, relationship, and forgiveness. Jesus was not oblivious to pain, but he looked at pain with a different perspective. He saw pain as a symptom rather than the major problem. He emphasized character and one’s relationship with God.

The Gerasenes could not understand the power of Jesus’ love and restoration. They fled before it and begged Jesus to leave their presence. He was too disconcerting. They Jews could not handle the easy manner in which Jesus offered forgiveness for sin and restoration with God. They preferred violence and destruction over the acceptance of love. They understood the power of force and control. They were struggling with comprehending the power to restore, love, and heal.

It was Jesus’ demonstration of love that allowed the disciples to begin understanding the love of God. As God loved the powerless through Jesus, restoring those broken and ravaged by pain, sickness, destruction, and the human quest for power, the disciples began to see something different. They began to glimpse the life-giving power of God’s love and forgiveness—bringing life back into the midst of chaos, greed, and plunder.

About a week after we returned to Porto Alegre, Joshua and I greeted a friend we had not yet seen. As I gave Zé a hug, Joshua ran up and grasped him around the leg in a bear hug as well. In the midst of his hug, he said to me, “Daddy, everyone who loves you guys loves us, too.” That is the kind of confidence that John wrote of concerning God’s love. “We love because He first loved us. …Everyone who loves the Parent loves the child.” Joshua discovered that truth on his own. He saw it working out in human relationships as we were greeted with warmth and love, and they were being drawn into that same acceptance, love, and care.

We understand the truth of John’s words. We can recognize the truth in Joshua’s perception. We love our friends’ children, because we love our friends. We love our family’s children, because we love our family. Likewise, we are to love our fellow believers, because we love God. For that matter, we are to love the world out of respect for God’s love.

There are voices of truth in Hollywood who have glimpsed something of the power of love. Schindler’s list reveals the truth that the power to grant mercy is greater than execution. Harry Potter reveals the understanding that love is greater than greed for control. Shakespeare wrote ages ago of the quality of mercy that is greater than a king’s political might. While the world has heard this truth, we have still not learned to accept it and live it.

John speaks of conquering the world, and yet he speaks of love. Why is it so hard to grasp his meaning? He wants us to conquer not by might or by the power of force. He calls us to conquer the world through love. He enjoins us to accept God’s love in Jesus Christ not for ourselves alone, but for others. We love, not because others have loved us, but because our Father has loved them. “Greater love hath no one than this, that he lay down his life for his brothers.”

Who is my brother? For whom should I lay down my life? Jesus loved the demon-possessed in Gedara, the paralytic in Capernaum, the woman caught in adultery, the Romans at the Coliseum, the Nazis at Auschwitz, and even the hijackers of 9/11.

Do we truly believe in the power of love to overcome evil, violence, injustice, and death? Do we accept the gospel message that found its way into Harry Potter, Schindler’s List, and Merchant of Venice? Do we just write it off as purely theatrical fiction? If we do, we write off Christ as theatrical posturing and neglect God’s love poured out for us. What will we do with the power of the Gospel? Will we accept love, or shall we preach some other gospel instead?

—©2004 Christopher B. Harbin

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