The King of Love

After years of planning and months of travel, the British team of explorers had reached their destination deep within the Jungles of Papua New Guinea And the tribe they met, though a bit cautious at first, was friendly and excited to meet them. In fact, after only a few days they invited them into their tribe and even provided them with lodging, food, and water. And in return, the explorers provided the tribe with medicine and technology the tribe had never even dreamed of!

Over the next few weeks they team of explorers shared lives with these tribesmen, where they learned much about their culture, their beliefs, and their tribal practices. In fact, they were eventually invited in to participate with the tribe in them! And so, you could say, the first contact with the tribe was very successful.

However, morning they noticed something. They noticed one of their expedition members had gone missing in the night without a trace! And when they asked the tribe if anyone had seen them, no one seemed to know! So after searching all day, they concluded the expedition member must have wandered off in the night to use the bathroom, or tree I should say. And was attached and devoured by a large predator, like a crocodile or snake.

And as sad as this was, the the expedition team went on with life.

But then, a couple of weeks later, another member of the tribe went missing, and then a few nights later, another, and then another, and then another. Until finally, the expedition tribe realized the terrifying truth. And the truth was this. It wasn’t crocodiles or snakes that were eating their team members. It was, the tribesmen themselves. For the tribe were cannibals.

And though they seemed quite nice, and acted thankful for all the help and gifts the expedition team had given them. The truth was, what they wanted most from them was to eat and devour them.

When we think of horrifying acts of human violence, I think it’s fair to say that cannibalism is by far one of the worst. It’s a crime against humanity in which it’s mantra is: “Your life for mine!” Whereas with other crimes - take stealing for example, the mantra is merely: your loss for my gain. And though that’s bad, it’s something you, with time, recover from. But not with cannibalism. That’s donzies! There are no takebacks or do-overs! And yet, human history is full of examples where humans have turned to eating other humans. And all because of the mentality of: “Use your neighbor for yourself.”

But do know what? While that mentality: “use your neighbor for yourself” is pretty obvious when it comes to cannibalism. In God’s eyes, it’s no different when it comes to any other forms of human selfishness. For it is ALL cannibalistic!

Sure, we civilized Americans don’t literally cook and eat each other, but we do find pretty sinister ways of devouring one other all the same - don’t we? Of course we do! Which is why the Apostle Paul says in the book of Galatians:

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:15 ESV

The fact is, cannibalism lies within every single human heart. And though it doesn’t often result in us literally eating each other. It does result in numerous other awful results. Think about it: As we just said: cannibalism is mentality that says: use your neighbor for yourself And so: Why is there war? - cannibalism within the human heart Why is there divorce? - cannibalism within the human heart Why is there child abuse - cannibalism within the human heart Why is there slander and gossip - cannibalism within the human heart Why is their infighting division - cannibalism within the human heart

And so is it any wonder why the Prophet Jeremiah said:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

And yet, in our passage this morning we do find one who oh so very clearly understands it! And not only does He understand it, but He also understand’s the antidote for it! And the antidote for it is? Love. Love is the antidote for the cannibalistic mentality which says: “Use your neighbor for yourself” For love says: “Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.” Which is precisely what Jesus tells us in our passage this morning.

And so if we are to be cured from our spiritual cannibalism, as the great theologian John Lennon once put it, “All you need is love!” See we don’t just sling mud at the Beatles. However, the leave we need is much more than a vague expression or general emotion or feeling! For the love we need to be cured from our spiritual cannibalism comes in three doses - and here they are:

To be cured from our spiritual cannibalism, we need a dose of:

1. Love for the King (v. 34-38)
2. Love for the King’s Image (v. 39-40)
3. Love for the King’s Son (v. 41-46)

1. Love for the King (v. 34-38)

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

Matthew 22:34-36 ESV

The past several weeks we’ve been looking at Jesus’s debates with the religious leaders. First, we saw their question about taxes, where they tried to trap Jesus with a question asking Him if it’s ok to pay the tax to Caesar: in which Jesus brilliantly responded: Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God that which is God’s.

Then we saw last week the question about marriage in the Sadducees, where are so sad because they don’t believe in the resurrection at all, asked Jesus a silly ad absurdium question about a lady who was married to 7 brothers, and who’s wife would she be in the resurrection? and there Jesus again brilliantly told them that in the resurrection there is no marriage, for we will be like the angels He didn’t say we WILL be angels - just that we’d be like the angels.

And today we come to their last question, which is then reciprocated by Jesus with a question of His own - which results in a checkmate (spoiler alert).

And so the question we have here is an issue that was often debated and discussed by the religious leaders. And what we need to realize, is that the teachers of Jesus’s day had identified 613 commandments within the Old Testament law. 248 positive laws and 365 negative laws. That’s a lot of laws! And since that’s a lot of laws, they they started discussing and debating which laws were the most important laws And they then started dividing them up like a bunch of kids picking a team for backyard football.

What they did was they divided them into Heavy laws (which were more important to follow) and light laws (which were less important to follow). And before you laugh and roll your eyes… I think we need to be honest about it and realize this is something we often do too, Not officially… But definitely unofficially.... But that’s another sermon itself.

And so with this context in mind, the scribes ask Jesus which law is the most important. And what does Jesus say? Look at verses 37 & 38

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

Matthew 22:37-38 ESV

And DING, DING, DING, DING - Jesus got it right. Which is why in Mark’s Gospel the Scribe says just that. And the reason He got it right, was because - well He’s God and He was right. But, He rightly quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which says:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV

This first part of Jesus’ answer wasn’t very profound - though it certainly get’s there as we’ll see in a few minutes... But this was something every good Jewish boy knew the answer to. You know how today almost every kid in Sunday School knows the answer is: “JESUS!” Well back then, that was the answer, and it came out of a prayer called THE SHEMA, which they recited daily, and still to today!

But did you notice what’s included with the answer? The details of the answer! See, a lot of people today claim they love God - but what does that even mean? Well Jesus tells us. And what He tells us is that it involves ALL of our HEART - not some ALL of our SOUL - not part And ALL of our MIND. And boy is this profound!

But do you know what the problem is? Most of us have he’ve heard this WAY too many times! “Love God? OK? “Yep, yep, yep with all my soul, mind, strength - oh yah, and the heart too - gotta have the heart involved.”

Let’s not do that. Instead, let’s slow down and look at this passage as if it’s our first ever reading it! and so to help us try and do that, I’m gonna categorize our love we must have of God into 3 parts - or 3 truths. And here they are:

When it comes to loving God, we cannot love the God:

We don’t DELIGHT in (Heart)

Now I know what some of you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “How long is this sermon gonna be anyways!” “He just snuck in a whole new outline within his outline!” Well it’s a min-outline - so trust me - we’ll be absolutely be out of here by time Rosie start’s serving our Christmas supper.

OK so let’s look at that first one - “the mind.”

Have you ever heard someone say: “I love Jesus, I just don’t love theology and doctrine...” I’m sure you have, And you probably know this already, but it’s a totally ridiculous thing to say.

Illustration: my wife Becky - Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, same height as me... And maybe you need a reference… And I know enough not to put a photo up she hasn’t approved And since she wouldn’t have approved any of them, I went and took the one off her Facebook page.

But do you get the point? You can’t love the God you don’t know. You just can’t! What happens if you find out that the God you love is a lot different than the God you dreamed up! Then what? "God in our own image”

We cannot love the God we do not know, and so we must make it our life’s mission to know who God is. And we learn of who He is in God’s Word the Bible. And so this is why we are PEOPLE OF THE BOOK! Not people of books about the book - which are certainly helpful guides! But if you only read the guidebook that helps you with the book, but never the book, your’e a lover of guidebooks, not THE BOOK!

As the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spureon once said: “Visit many good books but live in the Bible.”

And why?

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

And it a light that allows us to see God and love the God we see!

Love of God involves so much more than knowing who the God of the Bible is, but it is not less than this! And so show me a person who doesn’t love God’s Word and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t love God. Because not only can you NOT love someone you don’t know, (try it sometime if you don’t believe me) But we cannot love the God we do not obey. Which leads to our second mini-point.

hen it comes to loving God, we cannot love the God:

We don’t OBEY (Soul/Strength)

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:21 ESV

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:15 ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22 ESV

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

1 John 2:3 ESV

Love of God is so much more than a feeling. Than an emotion. For love requires surrender! Which is why even in the great commission is tells us to make disciples of all the nations, who DO WHAT? OBEY ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU That’s what a disciple is! They FOLLOW their teacher, even if it means picking up their cross! And if they are unwilling - then they cannot be His disciple!

In marriage counseling, do you know the number one problem I find that lies at the center of marital problems. A lack of surrender. It’s an attitude that says: “My love has limits!” It’s an attitude that says: “I’ll love you so long as it’s not too inconvenient.”

But true love is selfless - NOT selfish! and if we don’t appreciate selfish love, why would we think God would like any more than we do?

The truth is, we love love the God we know, which translates into obedient love that serves God and HIS DESIRES over our desires. But if that’s going to happen, He must be a God that we delight, Which leads us to our 3rd mini-point or our mini-outline.

When it comes to loving God, we cannot love the God:

We don’t DELIGHT in (Heart)

According to James’s logic: Knowing God, but not obeying Him, makes you a demon. Demon’s went to the best seminary ever! - they went to heaven’s - but they don’t obey at all, do they? But do you know what knowing God and obeying Him, WITHOUT delighting in Him, makes you? It makes you a pharisee. It makes you someone who wants to use God for what He can give you. And I think we had a word for that… I think we called it spiritual cannibalism. Because spiritual cannibalism says: “Use your neighbor for yourself” and if that neighbor can involve God - then YEAH! DEFINITELY!

Are churches full of spiritual cannibals? People who show up to church with a mentality that says: Alright God, I’m doing what you asked: what do I get for it? But that’s not Christianity. it’s just not. That’s idolatry is what it is! Because the truth is, a spiritual cannibal is trying to devour God simply to get what God can give him! Which is really foolish, because God is our ultimate NEED and LONGING!

Do you remember back in Matthew chapter 4 Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan to turn the rocks into bread, Do you remember what He said in response? He said:

But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Matthew 4:4 ESV

Until you come to realize that GOD is the only bread you need, you're not going to delight Him. You just won’t. You’ll use him You’ll abuse him And not only that, but their isn’t a prayer of a chance that you’ll go on to love those who bear His image. Which leads us to our second BIG point. Mini-outline over.

To be cured from our spiritual cannibalism, we need a dose of:

2. Love for the King’s Image (v. 39-40)

In verses 37-40, Jesus says:

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

Have you ever noticed how when people don’t like a president or a governor, they lash out against them by defacing their statues or billboards? In fact I know of a recent president where every time I see one of his signs along the highway, I think: “ah, they didn’t get that one yet” And sure enough within a month or two when I drive by it’s been spray painted or knocked down. And do you know why that is? It’s because when people can’t attack the person they hate directly, they go for the next best thing. something made in that person’s image.

Why do we slander? Why do we gossip? Why do we tear down others? Not because we hate statues and billboards so much It’s because we hate the person who’s image is on that statue and billboard.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

1 John 4:20 ESV

There’s a cool word I learned this week, And it’s the word: “pettifogging” And when I read it, I didn’t even need to look up the definition of the word to know that me and this word were gonna be friends. Cuz that’s a cool sounding word. But as cool sounding pettifogging is - the definition’s pretty good too. And here it is:

Pettifogging: “placing undue emphasis on petty details.”

What happens when the pettifoggers come to church? I’ll tell you exactly what happens. Suddenly everybody is hyper concerned for “Petty details” that’s what happens?

Pettifoggers say things like: “I’ll never join a church again! Not after how I was treated last time!” Ya? Well guess what: We actually have a line for people like that, and you know who’s at the front of it? “MUAH!” The church’s pastor! And typically the only person the pastor takes a backseat to on being mistreated within a church is Jesus. So yes, I am absolutely sorry you were treated that way - I truly am! But, and I say with this love… ya ready? Quit being a pettifogger, rub some dirt in it, and walk it off so you can get back to work serving Christ and HIS church WHOM HE LOVED SO MUCH HE WILLINGLY DIED FOR UPON A CROSS! AND, not while we were all white, pristine, and beatiful! THE SCRIPTURES SAY HE DIED FOR US WHILE WERE STILL YET HIS ENEMIES!

Now do you see why Jesus said in His sermon on the mount:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:38-48 ESV

Love of God MUST and WILL manifest in love for others! Not Pettifogging yes, let’s get our doctrine right yes, let’s kill our sin and strive to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect! But if that’s where that ends, then we don’t have love and we are simply using our good doctrine and good service to cannibalize others!

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 ESV

LOVE, church, GIVES THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT! And even when it sees reasons to be concerned or even disheartened, it persists on in love hoping for that person’s good!

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:59-60 ESV

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:14-15 ESV

Now maybe you’re here and you’re thinking: “OK, Good point preacher, I’m gonna do it!” I’m gonna love God and my neighbor as myself” Good... And if that’s you, hear Jesus words to the Scribe in Mark’s account: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.””

But… being not far - or even close we might say - isn’t close enough! For close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. not the gospel! And so you can strive for this kind of love until you’re blue in the face, and you know what will happen? You’ll eventually be blue in the face, and when you die, you will still be “close to the kingdom,” NOT “IN THE KINGDOM!” Because all you’ll be in a starving spiritual cannibal! Because the cure for spiritual cannibalism requires one more love, which is the foundation and the fuel of the other loves. Which leads us to our final point.

To be cured from our spiritual cannibalism, we need a dose of:

3. Love for the King’s Son (v. 41-46)

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22:41-46 ESV

In Matthew’s account, it almost appears like Jesus asks this question sort of an random… But in Mark’s account it’s pretty clear why Jesus brings this up, and it’s because in Mark’s account, the Scribe responds:

And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.

Mark 12:32 ESV

Why did the Scribe focus on the oneness of God here? Does that maybe have anything to do with the fact that Jesus claimed to be GOD as He is the SON OF GOD? Do you think that might be part of why the Scribe says what He says? Of course it is! And that’s why Jesus brings up this question about Psalm 110, and who the son of David - the Messiah - truly is.

Jesus is quoting Psalm 110, which is one of the most popular Psalms of David. And in that Psalm, David, in the Spirit of God, says: 44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’ But if the Messiah is merely a great human leader who is a descendent of David, then why on earth is David calling Him LORD? You don’t do that to your descendants - and the religious leaders suddenly came to realize this when Jesus pointed it out!

AND not only that, But WHY is the LORD YAWHEH GOD, telling David’s Lord - the Messiah - to sit at His right hand? Which is the place of absolute power and position! WHAT? This doesn’t make any sense if the Messiah is just the son of David! But it does make perfect sense if Jesus is both the son of David and the DIVINE SON OF GOD!

And yet, in light of the obvious answer, what do the religious leaders do? Verse 46

And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Matthew 22:46 ESV

Why did were not able to answer? Why were did they dare not ask Him anymore questions? Because Jesus showed them, without any doubt, that they didn’t love the God they claimed to love! They loved a God who was made in their own image! Which is no God at all!

For not only did they not know God Not only did they not obey God But they ultimately did not delight in Him.

Because if they truly knew God, they would have and and should have known about God’s TRIUNE NATURE! They would have read Genesis 1:1, and seen how it name for God, ELOHIM, is in the PLURAL not the SINGULAR!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 ESV

AND, they would have seen that the verb was in the singular NOT THE PLURAL and realized… “huh… that’s peculiar… I wonder why Moses wrote it like that...”

And then when they got down to verse 26, they would have read where God said: “Let US make man in OUR own image!” Genesis 1:26 (ESV) Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

AND then, when they got the very passage Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4, they would have also noticed that the word for God there can also refer to plurality!

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV

And so when 2nd of the 3rd member of the Divine Trinity showed upi in the flesh, they should have expected it. For how else could David, in the spirit of God (the 3rd member of the trinity) say:

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?

Matthew 22:44 ESV

And the reason is church, is because our marvelous God is 3 in 1. For God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 3 distinct beings within the being of the Godhead! Who are fully and equally GOD! Have decreed from before the foundation of the world that the Christ, the 2nd person of the trinity, would be born so that He might die for the sins of men! And when His mission was complete, He would sit down at the right hand of the Father, knowing that one day soon all of HIS enemies would be His footstool!

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Hebrews 10:12-14 ESV

This Christmas Season I ask you: Have you been sanctified by final and perfect sacrifice? For it alone is the only way for spiritual cannibals to be healed, For without that, loving God or others was never even on the table! So have you accepted His offering? Either way, know that one day soon, Jesus, the CHRIST, the one and only Righteous branch who is the Son of David, will execute justice and righteousness in the land upon all those who stubbornly refuse the love of God, which was made flesh

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV

Is Christ, the Son of David your righteousness? Have you received His love? For it is His love alone that can cure us.

Let us pray

This is the manuscript the sermon was preached from, so the recording may differ in places.