Embodying Transformative Love in Community

"Now, we're in Mark chapter 12, and in a few minutes, we're going to kind of focus in on Mark chapter 12, verse 31, where Jesus says, love your neighbor as yourself. But before we get there, I think it's helpful for us to get a little bit of context. So before we zoom in, we're going to kind of zoom out a little bit and look at the context of this passage, because I think the way that Mark arranges this section of the story that he's telling about Jesus is really interesting." [00:34:12] (26 seconds) Edit Clip


"You see, in chapter 12, Mark gives us a series of back-to-back encounters between Jesus and what he calls the religious leaders. These religious leaders, they approach Jesus with these complex questions. And if you're reading through the chapter, Mark chapter 12, if you're reading through that chapter, what becomes clear fairly quickly is that they're trying to trick him. They're trying to trap him. They're trying to get him to say something that will discredit his reputation because they're threatened by the influence he's having." [00:34:34] (36 seconds) Edit Clip


"The most important one, Jesus answered, is this. Hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength. The second is this. Love your neighbor as yourself. There's no commandment greater than these. So this teacher of the law comes to Jesus with a big question of all the commandments, which one is the most important? And Jesus responds, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength. And the second, love your neighbor as yourself. In short, Jesus says, love God, love neighbor. That's it." [00:43:07] (45 seconds) Edit Clip


"Now, Jesus could have answered directly, right? But instead, Jesus decides to tell a story that doesn't really answer this guy's question, but it helps us remove the filter from our understanding of what it means to be a neighbor. You see, in this story, Jesus says a man is traveling down a road, a dangerous, secluded road, when suddenly a group of robbers beat him within an inch of his life. They take everything he has and they leave him there in the dirt to die." [00:46:15] (38 seconds) Edit Clip


"You see, the Samaritan sees a human hurting and he steps into his situation and he sacrificially meets his needs. And then I love the way Jesus wraps this story up. He looks back at this teacher of the law and asks, which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell in the hands of robbers? Essentially, Jesus is asking, now you tell me who's the real neighbor here. You see, the teacher of the law was looking for the limits of love, and Jesus tells a story that helps him imagine what love without limits looks like." [00:47:54] (49 seconds) Edit Clip


"And in this case, it's a world where healing and help and hope are available to all because love has no limits, no boundaries, no barriers. It's a world where all people belong, where no one is left out, where no one is overlooked. It's a world where love is extended beyond the limits of our comfort. You see, Jesus' teaching here is, in fact, at least I think, a little bit unsettling because he's calling us to embody a way of being in the world that is uncomfortable, that's countercultural, that's flat out uneasy." [00:49:00] (43 seconds) Edit Clip


"You see, Jesus' response to the question, who is my neighbor, doesn't just expand the definition of what it means to be a neighbor. He completely reshapes what neighboring is all about. For followers of Jesus, neighboring is not just about opportunity and proximity. It's not about who we have the opportunity to love and who's close to us, but it's a commitment to participate in God's work of remaking the world into a place where all people belong, where all people have dignity and worth, and where all people flourish." [00:51:48] (35 seconds) Edit Clip


"You see, this parable of the Good Samaritan, at least that's what it's historically been called, the parable of the Good Samaritan, is subversive and powerful. It's a simple story, but in it, the Samaritan, the one everyone least expected, saw the wounded man, and he didn't ask, does he belong? Does he believe the right thing? Does he deserve my help? What will it cost me? He just crossed the road. He transcended the divide because he saw a fellow human in need, and he responded with love and with mercy." [00:52:49] (44 seconds) Edit Clip


"You see, Jesus' teaching in the gospel helps us see that if our definition of what it means to be a neighbor is narrowing, then there's some hard work, heart work, H-E-A-R-T work is also hard work, H-A-R-D work. There's some hard, hard work that we need to do. Now, I'm not going to stand here and pretend like this is comfortable or easy, that it's not hard work because it is. In fact, you can't do it alone. It's communal work. It's work that only we can do together as we gather like this with one another, as we read stories like this together, as we unpack them with one another, as we support one another, as we pray for each other, as we encourage one another, as we are the church together." [00:54:47] (63 seconds) Edit Clip


"You see, Jesus' response to the teacher of the law, love God, love neighbor, is not an individualistic imperative, but it's an invitation for the church, for the community of faith, the community gathered around Jesus. It's an invitation for the church to imagine how love embodied might transform this world. It's this kind of love that Jesus is talking about. This kind of love is wowed and unruly. It's not passive. It's not the feel-good kind of love. It's fierce. It refuses to back down in the face of fear. It can't be reduced to isolated acts of kindness. It can't be tamed, trained, or domesticated." [00:56:32] (42 seconds) Edit Clip


"This kind of love, this kind that brings about healing and wholeness in the world can't be manufactured. It can't be mimicked. It's not the product of discipline or willpower. It can only come from God. This kind of love flows from God to us and through us to others. As we receive God's love, it's then and only then that we can reciprocate God's love to the world. And I only have a few minutes left, but don't check out on me just yet because this may be the most important thing I have to say." [00:57:03] (51 seconds) Edit Clip


"It's the practice of quieting the mind, stealing the soul, becoming aware of God's love and opening ourselves up to receive it. In our noisy, busy, hyperproductive, overscheduled, always connected world, stillness can almost feel irresponsible. There's so much work to get done, but there's also good news for us to receive. And that good news is this, friends, that you are fully loved, embraced, accepted by the God of creation just as you are. There is nothing you have to do to earn earn it. There's nothing you can do to deserve it. God loves you." [00:57:57] (68 seconds) Edit Clip