In 1967, The Beatles released a song wherein the main chorus is, “All you need is love, love is all you need. How ironic that an English pop band that purported to be more popular than Jesus was singing His tune. The word love is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible. The number varies with the different translations, for instance, the NIV uses the word love 686 times while the NSB uses it 479 times and the NLT uses it 759 times. Love is very important to God and to us.
There are four different kinds of love when looked at in the ancient Greek.
Storge – This is familial love. The kind reserved for family members, friends and companions.
Phileo – This points to relationships with people that is of generous warmth. The basis of this is a common bond formed from shared beliefs, values or interests. Our love as sisters in Christ is this kind of love.
Eros – This is passionate love. It’s the spicy kind shared between husband and wives.
Agape – This is the highest and most complete form of affection. It’s rooted in God’s love for us. It is the foundation of all love and is strong, selfless and sacrificial. Sound familiar?
Love is so important Jesus made it a commandment TWICE. First there is The Great Commission in Mark 12:30 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength. The second is this Love your neighbor as yourself. The second commandment appears in John 13:14 – A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples.
We are even commanded to love our enemies! Say what?! No way, right? It’s true. In Luke 6:35 we are told, “But love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the most High because his kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Jesus washed the feet of the man who betrayed him while knowing what he had done.
So my sweet sisters, let all you do be done in love (1st Corinthians 16:14), keep loving one another earnestly because love covers a multitude of sins (1st Peter 4:8), and above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14).
Kendall Basore
