The Law of Love

A Sermon for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Just as you want people to do to you, do the same to them (Lk 6:31)

The divinely speaking Evangelist Luke, in the Gospel read just now, hands down to us the instruction and commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ: how we must conduct ourselves with people in the common life, so that we may please both God and people, gain for ourselves a good name and a conscience without reproach, and be deemed worthy of the promised, incorruptible heavenly fatherland for our prudent conduct in our earthly fatherland[1].

What wise, exalted, saving, truly divine instructions and commandments! But how inconsistent with them our daily, ordinary life is! The Lord teaches us to deal with people as we would wish people to deal with us—that is, sincerely, kindly, sympathetically, patiently. He has made us ourselves the measure of our relations with others—and this measure, this standard, is love: for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and warms it[2]. Yet in common life it is often the opposite; people’s relations with one another are very often wrong and perverse, lacking the spirit of simplicity and sincerity, of love and goodwill, of peacefulness, meekness and forbearance, of purity and holiness, of sympathy and mercy, and of Christian patience. They often bear the spirit of insincerity and duplicity, of coldness and arrogance, of craftiness and ill will, or of impurity and sensuality, of base selfishness and greed. The root, or cause, the source of one or another manner of people’s dealings with one another lies in the human heart, for a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things[3] — and it arises either from a person’s natural qualities, or from an upbringing that is fortunate or warped, from various passions, inclinations, habits—for instance, toward certain pleasures—from good or bad examples, from one’s circumstances in life, from a greater or lesser degree of material security, or from the environment in which one lives, from one’s position in society, from various worldly lessons or temptations, and finally, from the degree to which one has or has not been imbued with the spirit of Christ, of the Gospel, of the Church.

Thus, for some people the measure of their relations with others is simplicity and sincerity, good will, love for all; this is the best side of the relations of some to others; but often the character of the relations of some to others is craftiness, suspicion, ill will, rudeness, envy, extreme self-love, covetousness, partiality, vanity, vainglory, ambition, sensuality, or extreme haughtiness, that is, a lofty opinion of oneself that seeks to humiliate others. This is the other kind of human relations, opposite to the first. Generally speaking, among people one can observe more relations toward one another that are insincere than relations that are sincere, because all hearts are infected more or less with the impurity of sin, covered with the rust of the passions. For who can boast of having a pure heart, says Scripture? So the words of some are soft as oil, and yet they are arrows that wound. Therefore, according to the teaching of our Savior, the measure of our relations with others must be our right love for ourselves; as we wish people to act toward us, so let us also act toward them, that is, simply, sincerely, meekly, lovingly, without suspicion, indulgently, sympathetically, patiently. The Lord Himself offers Himself to us as a model, at which we must unceasingly look and, looking, always learn: learn from Me, He says, for I am gentle and humble in heart[4]. The Apostle Paul says: Strive to have peace with all and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord[5]; he also teaches: Let love be unfeigned. Be brotherly loving toward one another with tenderness; in showing honor outdo one another; take part in the needs of the saints, that is, of Christian brethren, and be zealous for hospitality. Bless your persecutors; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of one mind among yourselves; do not be lofty-minded, but follow the humble; do not be conceited about yourselves; repay no one evil for evil, but care for what is good before all people. If it is possible from your side, be at peace with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to the wrath of God. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities[6].

Such are the rules for the conduct of Christians toward one another that the Apostle Paul traced in his Epistle to the Romans. They are binding on all of us. Where is the highest motive for us to deal with one another in this way to be found? In the image and likeness of God, after which man was created, and in the fact that we are children of one heavenly Father, members of Christ, branches of Christ the one vine, sheep of His one rational flock; we partake of the one living Bread of Christ and drink from one Chalice His divine Blood; we have all been made to drink of the one Holy Spirit; we await one incorruptible, eternal inheritance. There is the motive for mutual, sincere, loving conduct! If you love those who love you, — the Lord says in today’s Gospel — what thanks is there in that for you? for sinners, that is, idolaters, love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you; what thanks is there in that for you? For sinners also do the same, that is, only so long as they are enjoying benefits, and this means loving only themselves; for in their benefactors they love only the benefits, or the advantage for themselves. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what thanks is there in that for you? for sinners lend to sinners, to receive back just as much — and in this case you love only yourselves, your own gains, and not the benefit of your neighbor; you do not satisfy his need at all. But if Christians do not fulfill these natural virtues, they are far worse even than the pagans, who do by nature the things of the law[7], not having the powers of grace; Christians, as is well known, have received all things divine, supernatural powers from God for life and godliness[8], for the fulfillment of all Christ’s commandments.

Look at yourself in this mirror of the divine commandments, Christian, and recognize what you are: do you love even those who love you, or do you sometimes fail to love even them? Do you do good to your benefactors; do you lend to those who repay the loan? Do you not hold back out of covetousness and distrust? Many want to be content only with love for those who love them and are unwilling to compel themselves to love those who hate them or are hostilely disposed toward them; with such pagan love, Christian, you will stand in shame at the Dread Judgment. But love your enemies, the Lord continues, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and to the evil. Difficult, it seems, is the task our Savior prescribes for us, commanding us to love our enemies and do them good; the corrupt human heart will say: this is impossible, this is contrary to nature and common sense! Difficult, it is true, only for a corrupt heart that has not been renewed and strengthened by grace; but for a heart reborn by grace this task is easy, for the Lord helps the believer in everything, and in the lives of the saints we see many examples of this. But to whom is one to lend, expecting nothing in return? To the poor, to those without means, for whom repaying a debt is extremely difficult and often impossible. And people of means must certainly repay their debt, and lenders do not sin at all if they seek to recover what is owed by honest means or through a court. Otherwise it would be harmful indulgence toward unscrupulous people who think it easy to profit at another’s expense. Be merciful, then, said the Lord, as your Father also is merciful. From Christians, His children by grace, the Lord requires a mercy like the mercy of the heavenly Father. And indeed, if Christians are the children of the heavenly Father, redeemed by the blood of His Son, and if imperishable, endless blessings are promised to them in the heavenly homeland, then in this life they must show their brethren a love and mercy corresponding to the greatness of God’s love and mercy toward them and to the boundless greatness of the imperishable blessings, the greatest honors and heavenly crowns, promised to them.

Beloved! If God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another[9], says the holy apostle John the Theologian. Amen.