It’s common these days to hear that telling anybody “no,” or showing them how they are wrong or mistaken, is somehow a bad thing. It is seen as intolerant, perhaps even dangerous. We are told – and our culture reinforces – that to truly love somebody, we have to let them do and think and be whatever they want, whether it is actually a good thing or not, whether their thoughts or actions are actually true or not. This sort of thinking is at the basis of many of our society’s fiercest debates. But is this how Jesus thinks? Is this how we see love defined and portrayed in the Scriptures?
In the famous story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-31), we find something very different from our society’s definition of love. While the passage is making a larger point, let’s not miss this small detail about love. The wealthy young man comes to Jesus with a genuine question – in fact, the question that matters most: “…what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds with a reminder of second part of the ten commandments, which the young man affirms that he has kept.
In verse 21, we find the kicker: “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me’.”
Make two observations:
- Jesus is said to love this young man. This is the same Greek word for love that we get “agape” from, which my Greek dictionary defines as to “cherish, have affection for, love.” Christ genuinely cares for this young man in every way that matters.
- Because Jesus loves this young man, He doesn’t mislead him. Jesus doesn’t say “well, there are other things I think you should do, but that’s just my opinion. I don’t want to impose it on you.” No: Jesus instead loves the young man enough to tell him what he most needs to hear.
In my reading this morning, the always quotable J. C. Ryle mentioned a thought similar to this in his words on Luke 11:45-54:
THE passage before us is an example of our Lord Jesus Christ’s faithful dealing with the souls of men. We see Him without fear or favor rebuking the sins of the Jewish expounders of God’s law. That false charity which calls it “unkind” to say that any one is in error, finds no encouragement in the language used by our Lord. He calls things by their right names. He knew that acute diseases need severe remedies. He would have us know that the truest friend to our souls, is not the man who is always “speaking smooth things,” and agreeing with everything we say, but the man who tells us the most truth.
Ryle, J. C. 1879. Expository Thoughts on Luke. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Carter & Brothers.
Friends: let us get our definition, our understanding, and our actions of love from the Scriptures. It is most loving to care for others in a way that leads them to what is true, to the Savior who defines truth.
