Loving My Brother

1 John 2:9-11

 

 ⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother

is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother lives in the light,

and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.

¹¹ But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness

and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going,

because the darkness has blinded him.

When I read these verses, I see the contrast between verse 10 and verse 11.

 

The first verse gives the example of someone whose pathway is lit. In fact, there is light all around him, because he is "in the light"! This person can see clearly, and his step is sure, taking him to where he is going. He does not stumble, because he can see what is ahead of him, and can do what is needed to avoid any obstacles, keeping him safe, ensuring that he does not fall.

The second verse gives me a different picture. I imagine someone on a path in the woods at night. The ground is rough and uneven, there are fallen limbs and rocks that might trip him, but he cannot see them, because it is totally dark where he is walking. Not even being able to see which direction is the right one to take, he stumbles along blindly, falling over and over again.

 

The message in this section of verses is clear - we cannot claim to be a part of the "light" if we harbor an attitude of hate for our Christian brothers (and sisters). If we despise those who, like us, are part of the body of Christ, we remain as though on that path of darkness, stumbling along, hoping to find our way, but blinded...

 

Verse 9 reminds me of previous verses in this book that have to do with "claiming" to be something that you are not. I will list them below:

 

Chapter 1:6           "If we claim to have fellowship with [God] yet walk in darkness..."

Chapter 1:8           "If we claim to be without sin..."

Chapter 1:10         "If we claim we have not sinned..."

Chapter 2:4           "The man who says, "I know Him" but does not do what He commands..."

Chapter 2:9           "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother..."

 

To show the danger of making false claims of a close relationship with God the Father, and with Jesus, His Son, when your heart is actually far from Him, I will list below the words that follow the quotes from the verses above:

 

Chapter 1:6           "...we lie and do not live by the truth."

Chapter 1:8           "...we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

Chapter 1:10         "...we make [God] out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives."

Chapter 2:4           "...[he] is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

Chapter 2:9           "...[he] is still in the darkness."

 

Claiming that we are close to the Lord, without LIVING it, separates us from God's truth. It deceives us, so that we cannot see Him - and ourselves - clearly, as He is - and as we are.  

 

We cannot hate our fellow Christian, and live in any kind of real spiritual victory. Seeds of bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness towards someone else work like a poison in our spiritual lives, and they weaken our testimony. These are things that the devil wants to trap us, and keep us, in, because he knows that we will not grow as strong or be as fruitful as long as these remain. Holding on to these feelings of anger or hate point us back into the darkness, where we do not have clarity or clear direction - we are blinded! My husband has shared with me a quote that he once heard, which goes something like this:

 

Anger (or bitterness/resentment) towards someone is like drinking poison,

and waiting for the other person to die. 

 

So, in order to see clearly, we need to learn to love like Jesus loved. In my previous blog The Message You Have Heard, I used the verses from John 13:34 and 35, where Jesus says,

 

"As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

 

This kind of love for the people around us points us back to the light, towards Christ, where we are purified from sin, set free to follow His example. This kind of love is also what Jesus said would be a witness to all mankind that we are His disciples, His followers. Loving others is a chance to walk in obedience to God.

 

I find myself asking some questions as I ponder these verses. Am I walking in the light, or in the darkness? Do I know where I am going, or does it feel like I can't find my way? Do I keep tripping over extra baggage I'm holding on to as I try to move ahead in my spiritual journey? Are there things in my life that are causing me to stumble, or can I clearly see the things that have the potential to land me flat on my face? Do I hold on to anger, letting it slowly grow into hate, or do I love my brother?

 

I know that most of us would not say that we hate! It sounds like too strong of a word! But if we harshly judge with an intent to condemn instead of restore our fellow believers, if we run them down verbally or in our minds, if we think of our own wants and needs ahead of the needs of those around us, I believe that we are not following Jesus example of love. We are in danger of being like that second guy, the one who is stumbling around in the darkness! I know that I have, at times in my life, cried out to God in frustration because I cannot see the path He asks me to walk clearly enough, while at the same time holding on to the very thing that extinguishes His light in my life! I have not always loved! In fact, sometimes I feel like I am just now starting to discover what that actually means! I'm glad though, that the Lord never stops working in our hearts, and He will teach us these things even if it takes time, and even if some of us are a little bit slow to learn. It's His grace, His unfailing love and forgiveness that looks past the mistakes we make to the potential for growth that He sees is possible in our lives, through Jesus Christ .  

 

A few weeks ago, I was reading through the book of 1 Peter, and I so enjoyed the way he wrote. A few things I noticed were repeated multiple times throughout the book, one of them being this kind of love for each other that Jesus talked about. These verses have stuck with me since then, and I want to use them in connection with the verses in the passage from 1 John above. The verses below are taken from 1 Peter 1:22, 2:1, 2:17, 3:8 and 9, and 4:8... As I read them, I noticed the words in connection to the kind of love we are to have for the body of Christ - each born again believer. The words are "sincere", "deeply", "from the heart". It speaks of something that is impossible to counterfeit, but only works when our hearts are transformed from the inside, and that transformation is bubbling over into our lives, into the way we view each other, and treat each other. I have highlighted the words that I found spoke to me about how I want to learn to love as Jesus asks us to... 

 

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth

so that you have sincere love for your brothers,

love one another deeply, from the heart."

 

"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit,

hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."

 

"Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers..."

 

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another;

be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Do not repay evil for evil or insult with insult, but with blessing,

because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

 

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins."

 

A love like this will guide our thoughts as we think of others, and help us when we speak of others, or to others. A love like this will diminish self, and help us to give, what we crave, to others - real love! A love like this will unite us IN CHRIST; it will humble us, as we lay down our pride in order to serve. A love like this will not condemn, but bless. Love like this will prompt us to remember our 'brothers' world-wide, the ones who are suffering, the ones who are being tortured and persecuted for their faith - and we will PRAY for them with sincere love! A love like this will keep no record of wrongs, but rather, it will forgive as He forgave, and help us to show grace to those who need it. A love like this is not possible on my own. I need to allow Jesus to transform me. A love like this will only flow from me as I am purified by God, as I obey the truth found in His Word, found in Jesus Christ. This is the kind of love that will bring me out of the confusion I feel when I am blinded by the dark, setting my feet on a path that is clear, so that I am sure where I am going.

 

My prayer for myself and others is that Christ will allow His love for His people to flow through our lives each day. On our own we grow weary, we grow tired, and sometimes our hearts grow cold, or are hardened by hurt. But the Lord knows our weaknesses, and that is where He promises to give strength.

 

I found this short and beautiful Psalm of David as I did a search for verses on this kind of brotherly love between Christians the other day, and want to share it in closing :). 

 

Psalm 133

 

How good and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
    were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
    even life forevermore.