The Lutheran Hour
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"Real Love"
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Text: 1 John 4:11
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! On this Mother’s Day, the announcement of the Savior’s empty tomb says that God’s commitment to save us is complete; His love for us is absolute; and His care for us uncompromising.
Sometimes people don’t believe my stories. I can understand, especially when I tell a tale as tall as that of Peter Richley. It was 1820 when Richley became caught up in a series of circumstances which truly do strain the boundaries of believability. In that year, Richley found himself treading water after the ship on which he had been sailing, sank. In 1820, sailing, sinking, swimming, and being saved were not all that unusual. Still, Peter Richley’s story is unique. Let me continue. The ship which rescued Richley also ended up going down. For a second time in his journey Richley found himself bobbing like a cork on the ocean. But Richley’s second wreck and rescue is not the end of the story. On the contrary, his story is just beginning. For a third time Richley was hauled out of the drink and onto the deck of a rescue ship, a rescue ship which, as you might guess by now, also sank. As did the fourth ship which rescued him – and the fifth. It was after that fifth ship went down, as Richley found himself floating in the solitude of the sea, he came to the conclusion that God was saving him for a purpose. (Do you think?)
Richley’s theory about God’s commitment to him was confirmed when he was picked up by an ocean liner, “The City of Leeds.” It was a ship traveling from England to Australia. It took but a short time for Richley to be dried off, fed, and pronounced healthy by the ship’s doctor. Before Richley settled down, the physician asked a favor of the 19th century Jonah. “There’s an old lady on board our ship who is headed to Australia to see her son. She’s become quite ill and there is little doubt she will die. In her lucid moments she asks to see her son. Sadly, she knows all of us, and none of us can pretend to be her boy. Would you be willing to play the part? From what she said, you look a little like him and could probably pass.” Peter agreed to play the part and followed the doctor to the woman’s cabin. On the bed lay a silver-haired woman who was fighting a high fever. Again and again she whispered, “Please God, let me see my son before I die. I must see my son!”
The ship’s doctor gently pushed Richley toward the bed where he would play the part of the woman’s long-lost boy. But Peter Richley didn’t have to play a part. That’s right, no acting was necessary. The dying woman was Richley’s own mother, Sarah. For ten years her mother’s heart had lifted prayers to the Lord that she might see her son and that her son might see his Savior. The ship’s doctor was dumbfounded to see the survivor of five shipwrecks kneel down by the lady’s bed, embrace her, and say with sincerity, “I’m here mother! I’m here. It’s me!” Within days Sarah’s fever broke, and she awoke to see her prayers had been answered. She awoke to see her son who had been physically saved from shipwreck and spiritually saved by a Savior he had learned to trust on the sea.
Which is my roundabout way of saying that today, at least in North America, is Mother’s Day. Today is the day when most of us take the time to honor those special women who have always had time for us. Today we honor those women who, by virtue of biology, or temperament, or both, have loved us, shaped us, wished the best for us, and were willing to make the sacrifices necessary so that we might live up to our God-given potential. Now I say that, knowing full well that for some of my listeners this Mother’s Day is a sad day. For those of you who have been unsuccessfully struggling to have a child, this day may not be happy. Before the next Mother’s Day comes, may God fill your lonely arms with His gift of a new life. Nor will this Mother’s Day feel especially blessed for those women who have struggled with the guilt that so often comes after having had an abortion. Your doctor warned you about the physical dangers, but he didn’t talk to you about the guilt, did he? Those of you who find yourself in this sad situation need to know that the loving Lord Jesus offers forgiveness to your repentant heart. Yes, there is forgiveness for you, even for a decision which you so desperately regret. For some of you, this Mother’s Day brings back the memory of a dear lady who has recently died. I pray, with faith in the Savior that you shall someday see her again in heaven. For some of you, this day unburies memories of a childhood spent with a woman who was far removed from Beaver Cleaver’s high-heeled, pearl-wearing, hair perfectly coifed, always patient and understanding mother, June. A few of you may even have had the most rare kind of mother: the mother who was hateful, hurtful, and impossible to please; the mother who was miserable and made everyone around her equally miserable. I’m sorry for you and ask that the Lord may teach you how to forgive.
Still, I pray that this Lord’s Day which is shared with mothers, may be filled with blessed thanksgiving for the God-appointed lady who could, even through wood and plaster, see us drink milk directly out of the jug; who could, from a distance of 20 paces, smell on our breath the cookies which spoiled our supper; who could hear, from a block away, the whispered dirty word; who could tell we hadn’t brushed our teeth, even though we ran the toothbrush under the faucet; and who knew when we hadn’t washed our hands, even after we’d soaked the soap.
May you thank God for your mother who could cook and counsel; who could be a beautician, barber, and budget director; whose love conquered your shortcomings; and whose faith overlooked your failures. May you give thanks for this lady because her love is the closest thing that this world produces to God’s love. She, more than any human being, should embody the Word of God found in the fourth chapter of 1st John: “Beloved, if God (so) loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Love. Love is a big concept. Really too big for this short message. Which is why I’d like to talk to you about a single component of God’s love – and the best love of a Christian mother. Now, I’ll be up front with you. This component, this concept, this word, doesn’t appear in the Bible. It’s not listed among the seven deadly sins or recorded among the heavenly virtues. It doesn’t usually show up when theologians list God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, holiness, justice, or grace. This word isn’t popular in our world. Indeed, it is often disregarded and is almost always disrespected. And what is this attribute? It is commitment. In a world where love almost always seems to be conditional and contractual, commitment is a rare thing. In an age when you are supposed to be self-fulfilled, self-actualized, and self-starting, the word “commitment” is unpopular. Which is why a mother’s love is so very special and stands out like a lighthouse on a storm-swept shore. A mother’s love isn’t dependent on what her child does, or doesn’t do, or on what worldly successes are attained. Indeed, listening to mothers talk, you would be hard pressed to discern whether her little boy or girl was a bum or a brain surgeon, a dope dealer or a Christian counselor. Mothers are committed to loving their children, no matter what.
And so is God. God’s love is a committed love. You could say, if there was such a word, that God is “omni-committed.” God’s commitment doesn’t come to us by allocation or allotment; it is not rationed, regulated, or restricted. The text is clear. God loves us; He is omni-committed to His people. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, God was committed enough to saving His disobedient children that He, all on His own, with a love that passes human understanding, promised to send them a Savior. It was a promise that God remained omni-committed to keeping – no matter what. When God gave the Children of Israel freedom from Egypt’s slavery, they quickly forgot His care. God’s commitment to save them did not waver. When God gave His people the land He had promised, they repeatedly turned away in idolatry and thanklessness. God’s commitment continued. When His people called for a king to rule over them, God did not walk away. When His children adulterously followed every other god other than the true God, He remained faithful. God was omni-committed to preserving His promise of saving sinful souls.
Read through Scripture. You will see God’s commitment. The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all have their shortcomings, but God’s commitment remains secure. The prophet Moses sins, strong man Samson slips, but God’s commitment stands firm. God remains committed and steadies the slingshot of a shepherd boy and brings down a giant; God’s commitment stands in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego and shuts the lion’s mouth to save Daniel’s life. God’s people wander, but His commitment does not waver; His children grow corrupt, but His commitment continues on.
God loves us. Stand with the shepherds of Bethlehem and hear the angel announce God’s good news of great joy: “Unto you is born in the city of David, a Savior, Christ the Lord.” Go with the shepherds, look into the manger. See this thing which is come to pass, see your Savior, God’s Commitment made corporal. Christ came to fulfill God’s commitment of love. Before Jesus was born, He knew the price He would pay to keep His Father’s promise of salvation. Even so, Jesus kept God’s commitment to save us as He fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies which identified Him as the Savior. Even though He knew what would happen, Jesus remained committed and the blind received their sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf were given hearing, the dead were raised up, and the poor – they had good news preached to them.
Jesus knew the cost of commitment but He was not deterred with saving those who would hurt Him, who would avoid Him, who would try to stone Him; who would betray with a kiss and deny Him with an oath. Considering the cost of commitment, Jesus continued to reach out to save the person who braided the crown of thorns which were pressed into His head; He remained committed to the person who spat into His face and the crowd which called for His crucifixion. He knew and remained committed to saving the person who would wield the whip that would tear His back to shreds, the soldiers who nailed His hands and feet to Calvary’s cross, the passersby who mocked Him, the priests who were smiling at His dying. He knew, and in spite of knowing He remained committed to bringing light into this dark world; committed to seeking and saving the lost; committed to being God’s cure for those who were sick in their sinful souls. Look at the cross and hear His cry of commitment and compassion. Hear Him speak to those who were gathered as well as those of us who listen to this broadcast, to those in every century and every corner of this world. His commitment can be condensed into three words: “Father, forgive them.”
So you might be forgiven is why Christ was born. So you might be saved, He lived His life. So you might be washed of your sins, He suffered and died. So you might be sure, beyond any doubt, beyond any question that God’s commitment has been completed in Christ’s sacrifice, He did what even the most compassionate and caring of mothers cannot do: He rose from the dead. In that moment when the tomb was vacated and Christ came out, the world was given the promise that all who live and believe in Jesus will never die. And almost as importantly, they can live a life in this world permanently, completely cocooned in His eternal love. Because of Christ’s life, suffering, death, and resurrection, this day it is my joy to share with you the ongoing, omni-commitment of God’s grace. Today I offer Christ’s commitment of forgiveness and an eternal future which is given not because you deserve it, or because you are so worthy, or wealthy, or wonderful; or not even because you are so deserving, desirable, or delightful. I offer God’s love and forgiveness because Christ’s commitment on the cross has won it for you.
Without hesitation or fear of contradiction, I am able to say because of the Savior’s life, suffering, and death: no matter how great or grievous is your sin; no matter how disobedient or disrespectful you have been; no matter how long you have been away from Him, no matter how blasphemous has been your tongue, your life, and your thoughts, no matter how much you have neglected, abandoned, or ignored Him, Jesus remains committed to having you back. I know that He wants to save those of you who have never known Him. He wants to have back all of you who have removed yourself from His protective hands. So that you may come back, so you might be able to acknowledge Him as your Savior and Lord, He sends His Holy Spirit with the Father’s call to repentance and belief in Him as your Savior.
Last year around Thanksgiving time, a four-year-old boy was separated from his mother in the large supermarket. Confused but unpanicked, he began to walk up and down the aisles calling out his mother’s name: “Melissa! Melissa! Melissa!” Eventually, from the next aisle down, his mother heard him and called for him to stay where he was. Mother and son were soon reunited. As they finished their shopping, mother gently corrected, “Honey, you shouldn’t call me ‘Melissa.’ I’m ‘Mother’ to you.” With wisdom beyond his years, the boy replied, “Yes, I know, but this store is full of a lot of moms. I wanted you.” The boy was right. The world is full of moms, but our mom is one-of-a-kind. Only she would be committed enough to changing our diapers and washing sheets and pajamas when flu struck in the middle of the night; only she would gush over a handmade Mother’s Day present and keep it tucked away for decades in a special place which only her heart remembers. Only she would love us when we, as teenagers, felt unlovable; only she would think we were tops when we missed making it into the honor society; only she thought we were Olympic material even if we didn’t make the varsity team. Only she would think the boss was wrong for passing us up for promotion; only she would think we’re worth twice as much as we’re being paid (no, make that three times as much); only she believes that our children are the best looking, smartest, most coordinated little people who have ever walked the planet. It’s right that we celebrate Mother’s Day.
Now if we celebrate the love of our mothers, how much more should we also celebrate the Lord’s Day? My friends, it is right that we regularly call upon the only name which can save us. After all, who else, other than Jesus, would come to seek out lost souls who were hiding? Who else, other than Jesus, would live His life for those who hated Him? Who else, other than Jesus, would suffer for those who lied about Him; would die for those who despised Him; and rise from the dead to give forgiveness and a future to all who believe? Who else, other than Jesus, would remain committed to showing a doubting world that God has been faithful in His commitment to rescue us from ourselves, to save us from sin and Satan?
Which could be the end of this message. It could be, but it isn’t. You see, in the last minute, or so, before the end of this sermon, I would like to add a special thank you to Christian mothers. Even among the honored group of moms, Christian mothers stand out. True, like all moms, they carry picture albums packed with their children’s photos; they know more about Harry Potter than they do the President; more about Disney World than Wall street and in the car they all sing songs from Sesame Street. Even though they may have been empty nesters for many years, their heart skips a beat when they hear a child cry out in the street. But Christian mothers are special – special because they realize they are the first, and perhaps the greatest, human window through which their children will see their Lord and Savior, Jesus.
How sad then, the story of a young family who headed home after church. It was the first time they’d been to worship since they were married; the first time they had taken their seven-year-old to hear about Jesus. Even then they wouldn’t have gone even then if the rest of the family hadn’t nagged and urged them to make the trip. Sadly, slowly, reluctantly, grudgingly they agreed to go, but only after they had received the promise that everyone else would stop pushing religion down their throats. On the way home, their boy sat in the back seat crying. When momma asked him what was wrong, he said, “That pastor told me God wanted me to be brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys!”
How much better the story of a Christian mother who found her four-year-old constantly underfoot. Len (that was the name of her boy), Len was making the simplest chores impossible. Whenever she turned around, she tripped over him. When she suggested he go out and play he said, “I’d rather be with you.” Finally the mother asked Len why he was being her shadow. He said, “Mommy, my teacher told me I should walk in Jesus’ footsteps, but I can’t see Him, so I’m walking in yours.” Christian mothers, this day we honor you for walking in such a way that your little ones may see the Savior, and by the Spirit’s power, be kept from sin’s shipwreck. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for May 14, 2006
TOPIC: Mother’s Day – Does God Forgive Everything?ANNOUNCER: And now Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. And before we get to today’s topic, a special Mother’s Day greeting to some special Lutheran Hour listeners: my mother, Lois.
KLAUS: My mother, Jeanette.
ANNOUNCER: My wife, Deborah.
KLAUS: And my wife, Pam.
ANNOUNCER: All right, now, going on to today’s topic. We’ve covered this before on previous programs, but we continue to hear from listeners who want to know more about the subject of forgiveness. They want to know, “Does God forgive everything?”
KLAUS: A most appropriate question for Mother’s Day.
ANNOUNCER: And why would you say that?
KLAUS: I can’t think of any people who are better at forgiving sins than mothers. I mean, think about it. When you watch the news, you’ll see some young person who is accused, has maybe even confessed and been found guilty of a crime. That individual’s mother will still find a reason why her child is the way he is. She’ll make excuses for his actions, and then even after everybody else has given up on her child, she’ll still love him, visit him in jail, and forgive him.
ANNOUNCER: So would you say the capacity to forgive is a unique quality of motherhood?
KLAUS: Probably the closest thing that we’re going to see in this life to the forgiving love of God.
ANNOUNCER: And, you’re not just offering a compliment to mothers, I think you’re trying to make an important comparison here.
KLAUS: Well, a mother’s love isn’t dependent upon the actions of the child she loves. She just loves. Along with that, she has a burning desire to extend forgiveness to her child. She can’t help herself. It’s part of her nature. Forgiveness, along with the willingness to make sacrifices, are some qualities of a good mother.
ANNOUNCER: But would you say there are also some important differences between God’s love and the love of a mother?
KLAUS: Oh, yeah. As pure as a mother’s love can be, it doesn’t compare with God’s perfect love. A mother loves her child, but most mothers don’t love all children as much as they love their own. However, that’s what God does. God loved the worst individuals that humanity has produced. But He doesn’t make excuses for us, doesn’t ignore us, and so that all sinners might become God’s forgiven children, out of His great love for us, the heavenly Father sent His Son into the world to seek and save the lost.
ANNOUNCER: And like you said before, with a mother’s love, God ‘s forgiveness doesn’t depend upon our actions, but it depends on what Christ has done. Which takes us back to the original question today, “Does God forgive everything?”
KLAUS: All right, the simple answer is, “God forgives all sins.” All sins. There is no sin so terrible that God can’t forgive a repentant heart.
ANNOUNCER: Or so big that Jesus’ blood can’t somehow cover it. But you also said there is a more complicated answer?
KLAUS: And there is. I can think of three things that need to be added to that statement.
ANNOUNCER: So you’re saying, “God forgives all sins, however…”
KLAUS: For that forgiveness to be personal, an individual needs to have faith in Jesus as the Savior. Through His life and death, Jesus fulfilled the laws we had broken, so that we might be saved. Because of Jesus, God takes His general forgiveness and applies it to individuals who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. With faith in Jesus, forgiveness becomes ours. Without Him, forgiveness doesn’t make a connection.ANNOUNCER: And what about reason number two?
KLAUS: Well, God forgives all sins. That’s His gift because of the Savior’s sacrifice. However, even though God forgives sins, and all sins, He doesn’t force us to accept it.
ANNOUNCER: So you’re saying we can turn down that gift of forgiveness?
KLAUS: Yes we can. We see that exhibited clearly in the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. Look at Peter and Judas. Peter denies Jesus but he is forgiven because he has a repentant heart. Judas, on the other hand, betrays Jesus, doesn’t believe on Him and is not forgiven for the same reason.
ANNOUNCER: Any other exceptions?
KLAUS: A few, I think. Don’t abuse or take advantage of God’s forgiveness. The Lord knows that as long as we live we are sinners.
ANNOUNCER: And that we’ll continue to sin.
KLAUS: Right. For those sins there is ongoing forgiveness. But, you dare not deliberately and willfully remain in sin and gamble that God doesn’t care. That’s an insult to the Savior’s sacrifice.
ANNOUNCER: And how would you sum this up for us today?
KLAUS: Jesus died to take away all the sins of the world. His forgiveness won on the cross is absolute and complete for every sinner that comes to Him in faith, confesses his need and has faith in the Savior’s sacrifice.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Love Divine, All Love Excelling” arranged by Henry Gerike. Used by permission
“Now Thank We All Our God” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 2 by John Behnke (© 2001 John Behnke) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Trio from Partita on Hyfrydol” by Charles Callahan. From Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Callahan (© 1993 Concordia Publishing House) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC