The Greatest Love
February 10, 2021
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 NLT
In our culture when a young man professes his love to a young woman and asks her to marry him, he generally offers a ring, the best he can afford, as a token of his love. The queen of expensive jewelry, Elizabeth Taylor, takes the title for the world's most expensive engagement ring. Given to her by Richard Burton, the Ascher cut, Krupp 33.19-carat IIa, with high clarity and purity, was auctioned after her death and is currently owned by an anonymous Asian collector. That’s impressive, but I am sure it was not the financial sacrifice for Mr. Burton that my modest little ring was for my husband. The size of the ring doesn’t begin to represent the love behind it.
Jesus told us that gifts, no matter the cost, cannot truly express the depth of committed love. He said the greatest love is when we lay down our lives for our friends. This quote from Jesus has been used countless times to eulogize soldiers, first responders, and many who have literally, physically given their lives in the service of love for others.
But what about us? Most of us will never be called upon to give our life’s breath for another person. Does this exclude us from the greatest expression of love? Absolutely not. It is the way of love and life for Jesus-followers. Because we love and serve like Jesus, we are continually and willingly laying down our lives for others. We are giving our time, our skills, our finances to love and serve others. We are not doing it because we have nothing else to do with those resources. We are not doing it because it is convenient or even enjoyable much of the time. We are doing it because of profound love. We choose to willingly lay down our personal plans and desires for that day, that hour, or even that extended period to take on the needs of another. That is laying down your life.
Think of the woman who basically raised herself without the love and attention desired and needed from a mother. Her mother now is broken and unable to care for herself. She is unapologetic for the past, continually critical and ungrateful for the daily care given to her by her Jesus-following daughter. Yet this daughter lays down her life every day and serves and loves tenderly, as if she was doing it for Jesus Himself. She prays over her mother continually, believing that before her mother leaves this life she will come to know Jesus, the great Healer. Greater love has no one than this.
There are a million different ways to lay down your life. That’s the way Jesus loved and served us. It’s what His followers do. We serve.
- For whom and how will you lay down your life today?