What does Peter teach us about love?

Love is a word and sentiment that is thrown around a lot. Not too long ago my pastor commented on this. I'll paraphrase, but he said basically we love people, we love music, we love food, we love clothes - we use the same word, love, for lots of things. In the Greek language, love was not just one word, but several. In 1 Peter 4: 8, Peter writes

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Which kind of love is Peter writing about? Glad you asked. The Greek word for love used here is agape. Agape is the love that God has for us. Strong's definition indicates that it means affection or benevolence. God shows us agape love, and we are to show others agape love. Peter writes that we should especially show one another love now because "[t]he end of all things is near" (1 Peter 4:7). This was written in the first century, so we are that much closer to the end. The call to love is all that more urgent.

I don't know if you've been following the news lately. Personally, I've ignored the news much of the last month, mostly because I'm weary of it. However, this last week has been appalling. To say that society in general is not living out agape love is quite evident. Love does not seem to be in the forefront of people's minds right now. It is time to start thinking of others before ourselves and to be benevolent to one another. We need to love as God loves us. He wants what is best for us. We should want what is best for those in our lives and world.

Why should we love one another? Because "love covers a multitude of sins" (vs 8). If we love someone, we can love them in spite of their sins. We are all sinners, that is why we need Jesus. Does it break our hearts when a person sins against us? Of course. Do we get angry when our child does what he/she shouldn't after the 1,000th time of telling them what they should do. Yep! But we love him/her anyway. We may not condone the sin that is being committed, but we love them anyway. We want what is best for them, even at the expense of what we think is best for us.

How can we show our love? "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." (vs 9) We welcome those whom we are called to love. What is hospitality? I think of parties and welcoming guests when I think of hospitality. I think of one of my friends who enjoys having people over and is always glad to see me when I come. I also think of the father who waits on the prodigal son in Luke 15. His son, who went out into the world and squandered his inheritance that was given to him early, comes back with shame and regret. The father doesn't even know that his son has shame and regret. He just is waiting for him to return. As soon as the father sees his son on the horizon, he runs out to meet him. Welcoming him home. Loving him in spite of the wrong that he did - covering a multitude of sins. The father shows hospitality by having a feast prepared. He rolls out the red carpet for this son, who is so undeserving.

I also think of the Good Samaritan as we like to call him in Luke 10. He has no attachment to the poor man beaten and left to die on the side of the road. He shows him hospitality by tending to his wounds, taking him to a safe place, and providing for his continued care. The Samaritan did not care who the wounded man was. He didn't worry about his life choices that may or may not have led him to be wounded on the side of the road. The Samaritan loved and showed hospitality.

Love and hospitality are two things that require no special training. Now, I'll freely admit that some people have a gift of hospitality in the sense that they can throw the best parties and attend to people's needs with what seems to be little effort. For some of us showing love and hospitality is not something that comes naturally, but we have a God who gives us strength and gifts that are supernatural. He does not call us to action and then not supply the wherewithal to complete the task. Our God calls us to love and hospitality, and we have the obligation to do so.

I hope we can all find a way to love others more deeply, and when we have the opportunity to be hospitable to one another. Our world needs us to show love to one another, and to show the way to Jesus now more than ever. Remember what Peter wrote in verse 7, "[t]he end of all things is near, be of sound judgement and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer."

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