1 Corinthians 13 v8. Love never ends. 

We have just passed through what was for many people a joyous time. For others it was a sad time as they had no family to share it with, or there were sad memories which had to be endured.

The whole meaning of the season was to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, a fact lost on many of the population. We recognised the great love of God in sending his only Son to earth, knowing Jesus would die horrifically on a Cross in early manhood.  Whilst Jesus would lead a sinless life, he would die to pay the penalty for all our sins, and so enable all who accepted that death as being for them, and who would recognise Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, were made acceptable to God and allow them to join Jesus in heaven.

Th word ‘love’ is an over used word and an abused one, but at this time we recognise the love of God in sending his Son and in the surrendering of Jesus of his life.

Love is an emotional word and so care has to be used  in the correct way. We say so often, I love an article or clothing, when we really mean like.Songs are sung all about love, and much television and movies are about love in lives.  The word is totally misunderstood.

There are four types of love described in the Bible, each of which has a special meaning. I can never remember hearing a sermon preached on the subject, (except for a televised one from two distinguished American pastors,) which otherwise is probably a good thing, as we would have the burden of false preaching.

The first kind of love is the most commonly applied, and relates to passion.   The term ‘I love you’ has so often been said by men to a woman met, when really what he is meaning is I want to have sex with you, and the relationship lasts as long as he decides.

This is a sad use of the word, When a person of the opposite sex speaks of love, it should be when a man meets a woman, and admires her beauty and personality, or a woman admires the manner and personality of a man, God made us  as opposite, so to attract for a man and a woman, to fall in love, marry, and raise a family. A casual relationship between a man and woman only leads to disaster and a ruined life, usually to the woman.

How sad it has been twisted, and used contrary to God’s intentions,  in a way so distinctly shown in Scripture, which modern Church leaders are shamefully supporting and encouraging.

 A second kind of love is that in friendship.  Jesus calls on us to love our neighbour, by which he meant a fellow human being.  We deny ourself in order to help others, which Jesus described in the parable of the good Samaritan, who cared for an injured Jewish man, who by nature was bitterly opposed to a Samaritan. He cared for his Jewish victim, rendered to him and saw he got good care when others had bypassed the poor man. There are of course, some people who make themselves unlovable.  Jesus showed us how he loved his Apostles.

A third kind of love is of family. It should be unthinkable that families could not be in loving care for each other, but I have found from long experience that it happens. Man and wife often come to hate each other, Parents should help and care for children, yet so many children are little horrors.  Children should care for their parents all through life, which is a natural practice in China and many countries in Africa. How any child of any age could not care for a mother, who risked her life giving birth for the child, is beyond my understanding. Having served many years in a big city I have found it to be so.

Lastly there is sacrificial love. No greater love exists than that showed by our Lord when he went to the Cross and voluntarily gave up his life to pay for our sins.  But even in life, we see instances where a mother makes a sacrifice by giving part of her body, to save her child facing death. We find it battle zones, when soldiers injured in conflict and being badly wounded, carry on fighting to free their comrades

True love seems to be so rare. It is too easy to profess love, as many men and women do.  Vows are taken to promise to love each other until they die, when it would be more appropriate to say until we get fed up with each other.  Divorce is now so easy one partner can decide to end a marriage without the other partner having any say in the matter.

God gave us the opportunity for such a wonderful life when he made man, and then gave him the  precious gift of woman, and yet so many have destroyed their lives by jealousy, greed, and selfishness.

For a lot of us there has been so much happiness, until God calls one partner back leaving the other to face life devoid of all meaning. May God give his blessing to all married couples, and to those now separated by death, a happy and blessed reunion in heaven.