September 2, 2017 · Ordinary Time (after Pentecost) · Year A
Let Love Be Genuine - Romans 12
Romans 12:9-21 calls believers to let love be genuine — authentic and real. Drawing on Jeremiah, the Psalms, and Matthew 16, this sermon explores what it means to practice love that is tender, honest, and transformative in community.
Scripture:Romans 12 · Jeremiah 15:15-21 · Psalms 26:1-8 · Romans 12:9-21 · Matthew 16:21-28
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Let Love Be Genuine
Tony E Dillon-Hansen
Last updated: 9/3/17 8:18 AM
A sermon based upon
Jeremiah 15:15-21 and Psalm 26:1-8 • Romans 12:9-21 • Matthew 16:21-28
Will you pray with
me? Let God guide our senses, our hearts and our ears to receive the
lesson given to us. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock, Our Redeemer.
Amen.
Our scripture starts
with a beautiful line that I would like for us to focus our attention today, ”Let
love be genuine.”
I think the key word
in this line, however, is “genuine” -- as in authentic and real.
Most good people have
an idea of what is and what is not “love.” One religious leader (Pope Francis)
recently equated love with tenderness, respect and devotion.
These are the “what’,
and definitions and standards can be nice. Yet, standards need the “how.” Let
me give a you a couple examples of what I am saying here.
As a chef, a recipe
tells you what the ingredients and the oven temperature are needed to make the
dish, but what makes the dish sparkle is the “how” (as in how it is prepared,
how the dish is presented, and ultimately, how the dish tastes.) The
good cook and chef will pay more attention to how something is made.
As a martial arts
instructor, I am less interested in that you have done something but more how
you executed the technique.
Pet owners might
understand a bit of the next one.
Whenever we leave the
house and no matter how short of time we have been gone, when we come home, we
have a welcoming committee waiting for us. I don’t even have to open
the door, and there is a wagging tail spectacle attached to 100 pounds of pure
enthusiasm and bouncing coonhound. No matter how our day has been,
Reno unapologetically shows us and lets us know that he is excited to see us.
Romans may not have
been written with dogs in mind, but Reno provides near perfect illustration of
genuine, heart-full expression.
I am sure you have
experiences in your life when you have felt genuine expression of love. The
question is how do you share your genuine love.
How do you let people
know they are loved? How do you receive being loved? How do you let love be
you? The “what” of words about love without action is just cynical
words.
In fact, words without
action or heart-full love is dipping emotions into a sauce of evil and
expecting good things to happen. That is how we get cynicism,
injustice, and racism because we have left out the real heart-full love when
interacting with our brothers and sisters.
An example of that
happens in plain sight. I have observed many friends and families
spending time “together” while busying themselves with their phones, tablets or
televisions (all while not having any conversations.) What is genuine here?
Where is the tenderness when we are busying ourselves with screens of virtual
worlds while ignoring those sitting right next to us.
Is that the kind of
love we need? Remember “want” is different than “need”.
If our version of love
is unkind remarks or prayers without heart, we might be missing something in
our own lives.
Genuine love is
revealing your heart and compassion. Thus, nasty remarks and heart-less prayers
may reveal that we are missing love in our lives.
To further this, we
have to be willing to share genuine love to receive genuine love, and thus,
love is trusting. Trusting that love works is the way Jesus teaches
us. Jesus did not say pray for just your friends. We should pray for
those we disagree or from whom we have felt hurt (and not just the pretentious
“Please-make-them-better” prayer.)
What can you do to
improve your genuine love? Think of the times where you have showed
not-so-genuine love –when you have left love aside and lashed out instead.
When someone wrongs
you and if your first inclination is fire bitterness or swallow the offense,
what have you solved? Instead, more anger and tension is the result.
If we hold harsh
judgments inside our hearts and keep finding faults against our brothers and
sisters, we may never heal open wounds or find forgiveness. That festers and
takes us away from what brings us to God – to loving.
When we hold people,
especially our enemies, in our hearts, it becomes difficult to hate
them.
Perhaps, we could use
hapkido techniques. The best defense to a punch or grabbing is to not be there.
Instead, get out of the way and let it go. Don't be the aggression. Thus,
instead of holding onto aggression or anger, we could simply let go of the
negative forces and meet people with genuine peace and good heart.
Why? When we meet wrongs
with love and compassion, we begin the process of achieving peace and
community. How do you meet injustice?
Maybe, it is deeper
yet.
When you are so
focused upon what you don’t get and what you think you deserve, you might
simply forget to love you --the self. You are not letting yourself accept and
love the self – the beautifully messy you.
If we are empty
inside, or have pain, we do not need to hold on to that, but we can let go.
Then, you might be able to let love fill your heart -- the self.
When there is love
inside, we might be like Reno. You might be more willing to let others know how
great they are, and suddenly, no matter our differences or our rough spots, we
(you and I) become Us.
You know that love is
sincere. Love is not money or material. Love is not a number. You are not just
numbers or statistics. You are love.
Love is action and
work. Our Christian faith tells us that God revealed us love by giving us
Jesus. Through Jesus, we were taught how to be love genuinely.
When you are authentic
love, you do that which God has asked of us.
Each of us are
beautifully messy souls with dysfunctions, creativity and love working. You can
share your love with a touch, a hug, our ears, and just being. When you are
authentic in your love to the self, to our brother and to our sister, you just
might reveal the gifts we share. Then, the gates of heaven await you.
Remember, it is not
what we do, but how.
How is your welcome
greeting?
How do you work love?
How can you share your
love?
How can you remind
your neighbor that they are loved?
How can you teach love
to your family?
How can you let love
be genuinely you?
Thanks Be to God!