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Agape Love - part 2 of 2 "Simon, son of the dove, do you have more compassion for me than the others?" He said, "Yes [indeed,] my Lord, you know that I have [great] affection for you." Jesus said to him, "Shepherd my rams." [Jesus] said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of the Dove, do you have compassion for me?" He said, "Yes [indeed,] my Lord, you know that I have [great] affection for you." Jesus said to him, "Shepherd my sheep." [Jesus] said again to him a third time, "Simon, son of the Dove, do you have compassion for me?" And it affected the Rock that he told him three times that, "Do you have compassion for me?" And he said to him, "My Lord, you command everything, you know that I have great affection for you." Jesus told him, "Shepherd my ewes.” (John 21:15-17) What is mercy? To suffer with gentleness. 1Pet 3:8-9 “Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous: (9) Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” Psm. 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing unto you.” It is very hard today not to return evil for evil. But with the agape love of God in your heart not only is it possible, it is required. And it works if we keep our hearts in God’s love, which is compassion toward others instead of just affection. A person who is merciful is always ready to receive back those who have messed up. When the prodigal son had spent all his inheritance foolishly, he left the pig pen and “He arose and came to his father. When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion (agape love), and ran, and fell on his neck, kissing him.” (Luke 15:20) The Father expressed not just affection, but genuine compassion, which is mercy. This is the love God has for you when you mess up. We have lost mercy because we don’t have the agape love of God flowing through us. Our minds tell us when to be affectionate, but our spirits telling us to be compassionate. Another definition of “Mercy” = to treat others better than they deserve. This is as close to “grace” as we come. Grace is the outward working of mercy that comes as a result of agape love. Numbers 14:18 “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” Pro.20:28 “The throne of a king is strengthened by mercy.” Do you want to become stronger – become merciful to others. Pro.3:3 “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck and write them on the table of your heart.” This mercy responds with forgiveness time after time after time. This is the love of God. Mat 9:13 “But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mercy is to help those in trouble, forgiving, and pardoning them. Jesus was speaking from Hosea 6:6 which explains that God wants us to have mercy (steadfast love and goodness from the knowledge of God), not just sacrifice. Remember the rich man who would not feed Lazarus. They both died, and the rich man went to hell. He raised his eyes and cried to father Abraham who had Lazarus: “Have mercy on me, I am tormented in this flame.” The rich man knew what mercy was, but it was too late for him. He did not walk in steadfast love and goodness in this life, so God did not extend to Him mercy in the next life. Psalm 78:38 “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.” Yes, agape love includes anger and wrath, but these can be overcome with mercy since “MERCY” also means “to appease wrath.” Jesus successfully appeased the wrath of God when He took His own blood and placed it over the mercy seat, making a propitiation for us. Propitiation is “kindness and favor” so forgiveness can take place. Jesus was the ultimate of agape.. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (had much compassion) that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Remember when Jesus said to His disciples, “I now call you friends…”? He had just explained to them what it meant to become one of His disciples. When Jesus called them “friends” He was speaking forth the agape of God to them. It meant “please have PITY on me” because He knew what price had to be paid for this kind of love. To appease wrath is to take “pity.” Compassion is mercy plus pity! Job said it this way: “Have pity on me my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.” (Job 19:21) Psm.69:20 “I looked for pity, but I found none.” I looked for godly love, but found none. People are looking for Christ-like sacrificial love in others. Do you have it? You see, when God looked upon mankind, it is God’s pity that sent Jesus to die for our foolishness. It is this kind of love that redeems us. Many have said, “Don’t have pity on me.” But we need that pity; for without this love flowing in and out of our lives, we are helpless. Jesus asked, “Should you not have compassion on others, like I have pity on you?” Should you not have love for others, like I love you? The men, the women and the children all need this kind of love – not affection that encourages them in their carnal understanding, but agape that has compassion with mercy and pity. -Pr. Steve June Newsletter 2006 | Agape Love part 2 of 2 | Kingdom First part 2 of 2 Pastor's Journal June 2005 | God Revealed | Exaltation - Whose? part 3 of 3
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