"And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught" (Mark 6:30). Surely we could not do better than follow the example of the apostles in this respect. How much we should learn if we did so, and how gently He would remind us of many a failure to present the truth, or if we presented it correctly, how much we have failed to preach it in the power of the Spirit. But we have to do with One who loves us, and this gives us confidence in telling Him everything. It is even so in human relationships, for when we are assured of one another’s love we do not hesitate to tell everything. Much more should it be so when we speak to the Lord.

How blessed to have found in Christ a Friend who loves with a love that will not let us go, according to that Word which tells us, "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end" (John 13:1).

Such love_the everlasting love of Christ that never gives us up_cannot be satisfied until it has drawn out our love in response to His love. The answer to His love will only be realized in its fulness when at last we have reached love’s eternal home. Nevertheless, on the way to the home, the love that appreciates Christ in the place of His rejection and in the day of His rejection is very sweet to His heart.

It is very encouraging and good for our souls to learn the gracious ways of the Lord with His people in order to awaken love, maintain love, and deepen love in our hearts. It is these gracious ways of the Lord that we would briefly trace in the New Testament stories of two devoted women.

The Awakening of Love (Luke 7:36-39,47)

In the great scene that takes place in the house of Simon the Pharisee, we see the awakening of love for the Saviour in the heart of a sinner. The Lord, in the perfection of His way, had stooped to grace with His presence the feast which the Pharisee had spread. While sitting at the table an unbidden guest entered, of whom the Lord could say, "She loved much." How, we may ask, was this love awakened in her soul?

There is no question as to the character of the woman. The Spirit of God has described her as "a woman in the city which was a sinner." Moreover her bad reputation was well known, for Simon was also aware that she was a sinner. She was a sinner and knew it, and Simon knew it, and everyone knew it. Further, she was a burdened sinner, and possibly had heard those wonderful words of the Lord, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Be this as it may, it is beyond question that she saw in Christ the grace that could bless the undeserving. Thus driven by her need, and drawn by His grace, with the boldness of faith she enters the Pharisee’s house and takes her stand at the feet of Jesus.

The Spirit of God calls attention to the fine scene that follows with a "Behold." He would arrest our attention and have us turn aside and see this great sight_the meeting between the devil’s hell-bound sinner and God’s heaven-sent Saviour. Doubtless, the onlookers were struck dumb with amazement as they watched the scene unfolding itself before their eyes. They might well question what would happen. Would the Lord expose her character, condemn her sins, and dismiss her from His holy presence? Ah, no! The proud Pharisee may condemn the sinner, to find himself exposed by the Saviour; but the Lord will not condemn a confessed sinner.

The wisdom of His way is as perfect as the grace of His heart. At first no word is spoken. The guests are silent in wonder, the Lord is silent in grace, the woman is silent in sorrow. No sound breaks the silence but the sobs of a weeping sinner. Though, however, nothing is said, much takes place, for the sinner’s heart was broken and the sinner’s heart was won. She "stood at His feet behind Him weeping" and she "kissed" His feet. The tears tell of a heart that is broken, and the kisses of a heart that is won.

What was it that broke her heart, and won her heart? Was it not that she saw something of the grace and holiness of the Saviour, and in the light of His glory she realized, as never before, the sinfulness of her life and her heart, and this broke her heart? But more, she realized that though she was a sinner full of sin, yet He was a Saviour full of grace for one who was full of sin. She found herself in the presence of One who knew her vile life through and through, and yet loved her, and this won her heart.

It is good for each one if we, too, have been in His presence, burdened and wretched by reason of our sins, there to discover that in Him we have found One who knows the worst about us and yet loves us.

The Maintenance of Love (Luke 10:38-42)

We have seen how love for Christ is awakened, and blessed indeed when at the outset of the Christian life the heart is won for Christ. We have now to learn how the heart, in which love has been awakened, can be maintained in the freshness of first love.

Do we not all know that with the passing of time many things may creep in between the soul and Christ? Not always gross things, which indeed might arrest the soul by the very wretchedness they bring, but things that are small and apparently harmless_"the little foxes that spoil the vines," and render the life unfruitful. The allowance of these little things will cast a chill over the affections and gradually form an icy crust over the heart, and the Lord has to say to us, "Thou hast left thy first love." Thus from one cause or another we often see that while love to Christ has been truly awakened in many souls, some make little progress in spiritual intelligence whereas others grow in deeper acquaintance with the Lord and His mind. How, then, is the love that has been awakened to be maintained?

The home at Bethany supplies the answer. In the two sisters we have two saints in whom love to Christ has been truly awakened; yet in one sister we see a believer growing in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, while in the other sister we see a saint who is hindered by self and hampered by her service.

Martha’s love was shown by seeking to meet the physical necessities of the Lord as a Man. Mary’s love was seen in seeking to gratify the deep longings of His heart by hearing His word. Martha was occupied with the "many things" which all have their end in death. Mary was occupied with the "one thing" that death could not take from her.

If, then, we would know how love is awakened, we must in spirit visit the home of Simon; but if we would know how love is maintained, let us visit the house at Bethany. Standing at the feet of the Saviour, in the house of Simon, love was awakened in the heart of a sinner; sitting at the feet of the Master, in the home of Martha, love was maintained. At His feet we are in His company; in His company we hear His words, and His words declare His heart. There we are learners in the school of love. How much do we know of the good part chosen by Mary_the turning aside from the busy round of life and the activities of service to be alone with Jesus, and to draw nigh to Jesus for the love of being near Him? The Lord loves our company; He delights to have us in His presence. He may dispense with our busy service, but He cannot do without ourselves. Thus only will first love be maintained, and if lost, regained. We cannot live on the past. Past experiences may have awakened love, but only present communion can maintain love.

The Deepening of Love (John 11)

Passing now to another incident in the story of Mary of Bethany, we shall learn another lesson in the story of love. If in Luke 10 we have seen how love is maintained in the common round of life, in John 11 we shall learn how love is deepened in the sorrows of life. There life was flowing in its usual channel, here the everyday life is arrested by a great sorrow. Sickness has invaded the Bethany circle, and the shadow of death is creeping over the home. In the trial that has overtaken them how will the sisters act? Moved by grace they take the best possible course. They draw upon the love of Christ. In Luke 10 Mary is learning the love of Christ in the calm of a quiet life; in John 11 she is drawing upon that love amidst the storms of life. There she enjoyed His love in His company; here she uses His love in her sorrow. All this is written plainly in the appeal that these devoted women make to the Lord. They send to Him saying, "He whom Thou lovest is sick." How brightly the faith and confidence in the Lord of these two sisters shines out in this brief message. They turn to the right Person, for "they sent unto Him." They use the right plea, for they say, "Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick." They plead not the feeble love of Lazarus for the Lord, but the perfect and unfailing love of the Lord for Lazarus. So, too, they appeal to the Lord in the right way, for they do not suggest what the Lord shall do; they neither ask the Lord to heal, nor to come, nor even to speak a word on their behalf. They simply spread out their sorrow before the Lord and cast themselves upon the boundless resources of unbounded love. Will love disappoint them? Ah, no! For love delights to respond to the appeal of hearts moved by love.

However, divine love will take its perfect way, a way indeed that to mere nature may seem very strange. The sisters have delighted His heart by drawing upon His love; now He will delight their hearts by deepening in their souls the sense of His love, and thus deepening their love for Him. For it is ever thus, the deeper the sense of love, the deeper will be the response of our love. We love Him because He first loved us.

To accomplish His gracious work He will use the sorrows of life; and in order that His love may be deepened in their souls, He will first deepen the sorrow. The saints are called to the glory of God after they have "suffered awhile" (1 Pet. 5:10); so, on our way to glory, we often catch some brighter rays of His glory after a time of suffering. It was thus with the sisters. They had to suffer awhile, for the Lord tarries, and no word comes from the Lord. The days are passing, Lazarus is sinking, the shadow of death is creeping over the home. At last death has come_Lazarus is dead. They have suffered awhile; they shall now see His glory, for "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." To sight it was a sickness unto death, but in reality death was being used to bring into display the glory of Christ and swell the triumph of His victory over death. To accomplish these great ends, how perfect the way He takes.

Human love, thinking only of the relief of the sick one, would have started at once for Bethany. Human prudence, thinking only of self, would never have gone, even as the disciples say, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone Thee; and goest Thou thither again?" The Lord, rising above human love and human prudence, acts according to divine love moved by divine wisdom. "As for God, His way is perfect."

After patience has had her perfect work, in love’s due time, the Lord comes to the bereaved sisters at Bethany, and reveals the deep love of His heart as He talks with them, and walks with them, and weeps with them. He is going to deepen their love by His words of love, and ways of love, and tears of love. What depths of love lie behind those sublime words, "Jesus wept." It was a wonderful sight to see a sinner weeping in the presence of His love, but more wonderful to see the Saviour weeping in the presence of our sorrow. That we should weep because of our sins is a small wonder; that He should weep because of our sorrows is a great wonder_a wonder that discloses how near He came, and how near He is, to a sorrowing saint.

Why, we may ask, these tears? The Jews, standing around the grave, misinterpret the tears, for they say, "Behold how He loved him!" Truly, the Lord loved Lazarus, but the tears were not the expression of His love for Lazarus. The sisters may weep for the loss of their brother; there was, however, no need for the Lord to weep for one He was about to raise. It was not for the dead He wept, but for the living_not for the loss of Lazarus, but for the sorrow of Mary and Martha. In a little, love will raise Lazarus, but first love will weep with Martha and Mary. He broke His heart to bind up our hearts, and shed His tears to dry our tears. In so doing He declared His love and deepens our love. Thus He uses the trials, the sorrows, and the rough ways of life to unfold the treasures of His love, and draw out our love to Him.

After this great trial the sisters would surely have said, "We knew that He loved us, but, until the trial came, we never knew that He loved us so much as to walk with us and weep with us in the trial."

At His feet, in Luke 10, Mary was learning His love; in John 11 she draws upon the love of which she had learned, and is deepened in the love that she draws upon.

What holy, happy lessons can we learn from these different scenes. We learn that at the feet of Jesus, as sinners, love is awakened; at the feet of Jesus, as learners, love is maintained at the feet of Jesus, in our sorrows, love is deepened.

"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father:to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (Rev. 1:5,6). In contemplating the love of Jesus, as set forth in this passage, we can trace the following four characteristics:thinking of its object, visiting its object, suffering for its object, and exalting its object.

1. He thought of us. Deep in His own eternal mind, He pondered His much-loved Church, before the foundation of the world.

"His gracious eye surveyed us, Ere stars were seen above."

2. Did He rest satisfied with merely thinking about us? No, He laid aside all His glory, and came down into this cold, heartless world, as into a vast quarry from whence He would hew out stones for His heavenly temple. He made His way down into this "rough valley" of ours, which had been "neither eared nor sown" (Deut. 21:4). "The dayspring from on high hath visited us" (Luke 1:78).

3. But He did not rest satisfied with coming down to look at us in our guilt and ruin, our misery and degradation. He Offered for us. He hath "washed us in His own blood." He loved us, though we were in our sins; and He has washed us from our sins. He would not leave a single speck upon the objects of His eternal love.

4. What, then, was all this for? Why those unutterable sufferings of Jesus? Why those three hours of profound darkness? Why that bitter cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" It was simply that the love of Jesus might exalt its object:"Hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." This is for our exceeding comfort and joy.

But we should bear in mind that if we love Jesus, we, too, will often like to think of Him, often delight to contemplate His matchless grace, to ponder His infinite perfections. Moreover, we will visit Him in the secret of His sanctuary, not to gain a name as persons of much prayer, but to gratify the affections of our hearts for Him who is "the chiefest among ten thousand" and "altogether lovely" (Cant. 5:10,16).

Again, we shall be ready to suffer for Him, not in order to show ourselves as persons of great energy, zeal, and personal devotedness, but to express the high estimation in which we hold His divine and adorable Person.

Finally, it will be our constant aim to exalt Him in every place. Our language will be, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psa. 34:3).

Let us earnestly pray for such a deep, full tide of divine love in our cold, narrow, selfish hearts as will render true service for Him. We desire not the imperfect zeal kindled by the unhallowed spark of human opinion, but the calm, steady, constant flow of unalterable affection for Jesus_that affection which has its chief joy in meditating upon its object_before we set forth to be a worker or a sufferer in His cause.

(From Things New and Old.)

Among the different attributes of God that have been considered in previous articles in this series, the one before us now has a certain uniqueness. We read in the Bible that God is gracious, merciful, holy, righteous, eternal, etc., not God is grace, God is mercy, God is holiness, God is eternity. In other words, His attributes are given as adjectives, descriptors of Himself. But when we come to the attribute of love, we do not merely read that "God is loving," but rather that "God is love" (1 John 4:8,16). This would seem to suggest that love, as the very nature of God, undergirds, entwines, and binds together all of the other attributes of God. His love is most evident in all of His works.

What is love? There are many kinds and definitions of love. There are many kinds of feelings and emotions that are termed by humans as "love." Perhaps the greatest overuse and misuse of the term "love" is in connection with activities or inanimate objects. For example, "I love to read" or "I love that red dress." "Love" is also used to describe the good feelings one may have toward another because of having been physically, emotionally, or spiritually close to that person; examples of these are the love of relatives or friends, romantic love, and sexual love. There is yet another kind of love, perhaps best exemplified in human experience by the attitude of a parent toward his/her child. The parent may not receive much in the way of emotional or spiritual benefit from being with the child, but even when having to discipline the child for bad behavior can still honestly say to the child, "I love you." This is a love that finds value in another and wants the other to be and to have what is good. This latter kind of love comes closest to exemplifying_in the human sphere_the characteristics of the love of God.

The love of God might be defined as that attitude that places such a value on others that it seeks the welfare, the blessing of the other without demanding or seeking or expecting anything in return. This love often has a sacrificial quality. It has been suggested by another that there are three kinds of love_"if love," "because love," and "in spite of love." The first kind of love says, "If you will do such and such for me, if you satisfy my desire, I will love you and be your friend." The second, similar to the first, says, "I love you because you always treat me so nicely and pay attention to me," or "Because you have been good to me, I will love you and try to repay your goodness." The third, on the other hand, says, "In spite o/all the terrible things you have said and done against me, yet will I continue to love you and do all I can to help you achieve the greatest happiness and the highest blessings." Clearly, this third kind of love best describes God’s love for us.

So much for definitions. Let us see what we can learn from the Scriptures concerning the love of God.

The Pentateuch refers often to the people’s need to love God (for example, Exod. 20:6; Deut. 6:5; 11:1; 30:20), less often to God’s love for the people. Nevertheless, we find in the Book of Deuteronomy:"Because He [God] loved thy fathers, therefore He … brought thee . . . with His mighty power out of Egypt" (4:37). "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people" (7:7). "Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee" (23:5).

"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction; for whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth" (Prov. 3:11,12).

"Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. … I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west (Isa. 43:4-6).

"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jer. 31:3).

"Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine" (Hos. 3:1).

"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. … I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love" (Hos. 11:1,4).

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing" (Zeph. 3:17).

We see from these verses in the Old Testament that God’s love is generally mentioned in connection with gathering his people, bringing them back to Himself, and delivering them from affliction which they got themselves into. Let us now look at some New Testament references to God’s love.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38,39).

"God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ" (Eph. 2:4,5).

"Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Heb. 12:6).

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).

"Beloved, let us love one another:for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:7-10).

From the foregoing verses from both the Old and New Testaments, we see the following features of God’s love:

1. God’s love is everlasting and unchanging (Jer. 31:3; Rom. 8:38,39).

2. God’s love finds value in its object (Isa. 43:4).

3. God’s love is independent of the behavior or attractiveness of its object (Deut. 7:7; Hos. 3:1; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4).

4. God’s love delights to bring blessing (Deut. 23:5; Isa. 43:4-6; Hos. 11:1,4; 1 John 3:1).

5. God’s love may have to bring pain to its object to achieve blessing (Prov. 3:11,12; Heb. 12:6).

6. God’s love is self-sacrificial (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:7-10).

The love of God the Father is found equally in God the Son, as evidenced by the following Scriptures.

"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you" (John 15:9). Who can imagine a greater love than this_the love of God the Father toward His Son! So great is Christ’s love toward us. "The love of Christ . . . passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:19).

"The love of Christ constraineth us … that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:14,15). Rather than forcing His redeemed ones to be obedient out of fear of punishment, Christ constrains us, encourages us, challenges us_by constantly reminding us of His tremendous love to us_to live for Him.

In a similar fashion, we are exhorted to "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God" (Eph. 5:2). "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16). The love of Christ knew no bounds. He gave Himself for us. He was forsaken of God for our sakes. The wrath of God fell upon Him because of our sins. And this is set as the standard, the measure, of our love for one another. What a challenge to our souls!

Well might we offer all praise and worship and adoration to our precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, in response to His great love to us:"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father:to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (Rev. 1:5).

This topic will be continued, Lord willing, in the next issue, as we consider in more detail how we as Christians are to show forth the love of God in our own lives.

What an astonishing act of love it was for the Father to give the delight of His soul, out of His very bosom, for poor sinners! All tongues pause and falter that attempt to express His love; for expressions here are swallowed up in the profound statement of Scripture, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." So loved them? How did He love them? Which of us would deliver to death a child, the child of our delights, an only child, in exchange for the greatest inheritance or reward in the world? What tender parent can endure parting with his or her child?

When Hagar was taking her last leave (as she thought) of her Ishmael, "She went and sat her down over against him a good way off. . . for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept" (Gen. 21:16). Though she was in no way the best of mothers, nor he the best of children, yet she could not give up her child. Oh, it was hard to part!

Likewise, think of the outpouring of grief that David made upon the death of Absalom, his rebellious son who was seeking to dethrone him; David even wished he had died in Absalom’s place (2 Sam. 18:33).

What a breach has the death of some children made in the hearts of their parents_a breach that may never be closed up in this world. Surely, never did any child lie so close to a parent’s heart as Christ to His Father’s; and yet He willingly parted with Him, though His only One, the Son of His delights; and that to a death, a cursed death, for the worst of sinners. Oh, the admirable love of God to men! Matchless love! A love past finding out! Let all men, therefore, in the matter of their redemption, give equal glory to the Father with the Son (John 5:23). If the Father had not loved us, He would have never parted with such a Son for us.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 36.)

FRAGMENT
Who Thy love, O God, can measure_
Love that crushed for us its Treasure,
Him in whom was all Thy pleasure,
Christ, Thy Son of love?

Couldst Thou bruise Him, there forsaken
On the cross His love had taken,
‘Gainst Thy Son Thy sword awaken,
‘Gainst Thy Son of love?

Couldst Thou crush Him, Man of sorrow,
Pierce His soul with wrath’s fierce arrow,
Melt that heart, rend joints and marrow-
Doom Thy Son of love?