Trey H. Little

Sermon Text:  Mark 12: 28-34

February 13, 2011

Albany, Texas

“Love Connection”

News Flash:  Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day!  A day where 15% of U.S. women will send themselves flowers.  A day where 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentines Day are men, while only 27% are women.  A day when about 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards will be exchanged.  That’s the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year.  In fact, about 3 percent of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.  It shouldn’t be too hard to find a card—Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine’s Day.  Interestingly enough, teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts.  Children ages 6-10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine’s cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.  By the way, just a little heads up, sources say that consumers will spend an average of $78 on Valentine’s Day gifts this year—if you are less than that—just know you are “below average!”

But let me ask you—do you really care?  Is all of this really the best display of LOVE?  Do cards and gifts properly represent the Love Connection”?  What if you don’t have a “sweetheart”—is the annual “love day” a downer?

Turn with me to Mark 12: 28-34 and let’s hear the words of Jesus as He describes the true “Love Connection.”

            Do you remember the show “Love Connection”?  Chuck Woolery was the host of the show that ran from 1983-1994.  The purpose of the show was to connect two people who had never met before—all they had to determine if there would be a love connection was a brief video clip.  If you ever have a chance—Google “Love Connection” and watch some of the old video clips from the show—it is worth the effort if only to see the hair styles and outfits.  What I remember most about the show was the statement Woolery would say at the close of every episode.  He said, “I hope all your dates are good ones.”

            Well, I think our text this morning is all about the “Love Connection.”  In fact, I think Jesus masterfully articulates the connection when He responds to the “Pharisee’s” question:  “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

            Jesus answered:  “The most important one is this…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.” 

             The Pharisee’s question most likely did not come as a surprise to Jesus.  He knew the practices of the Jewish religious leaders.  He knew that they had selected over 600 individual statutes in the law—of which some were viewed as “big ones” and others as “little ones.”  And so in this case, the “teacher of the law” wanted Jesus to clarify for him which was the BIGGEST. Jesus did—by telling him TWO that seemingly made all the rest appear small.

Why these two?  Why would Jesus sum up the law and the prophets with two LOVE commands?  Well, that’s the sermon, isn’t it?  Love God and love others—get connected to God by loving Him and stay connected by loving others—that’s it!  Jesus is teaching us that loving God and loving others must never be separated—it is the LOVE CONNECTION that must be present every day of the year.

But here is the reality—we all too often take the LOVE CONNECTION for granted.  Love is more frequently something we say rather than something we live.  Our approach to LOVE can be like a blink of an eye—something we think will just happen.  It’s like a breath—we just assume LOVE is going to be there when we need it.  LOVE can be like an extension cord—it has the possibility to bring electricity to far away places but if it is not plugged in it is useless.  LOVE can be like a Valentine’s Day card—meaningful words that can get overlooked in the presence of an unwrapped gift.  The LOVE Jesus wants us to unwrap is virtually a new creed for life. 

It is more than the Shema—the ancient Jewish creed that commands Israel to love God with heart, soul, mind and strength.  Essentially, Jesus said that is the first step—but there is another step—you must also “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  The LOVE CONNECTION is “The Jesus Creed” (Scot McKnight).  If we will strive to recite and live out “The Jesus Creed”every day of our lives—spiritual growth is inevitable.  And if you think about it—it makes perfect sense.  If we focus all of who we are on loving God and loving others—that leaves very little time for us to focus on loving ourselves—which is the biggest obstacle in all of our spiritual journeys. 

Some of us are sitting here this morning consumed with thoughts about what our “sweetheart” is going to get us—more than what we might give them.  Likewise, many of us came to worship this morning hoping we would GET what WE needed.  We hope the church will take care of OUR needs.  If the church doesn’t do things the way WE want them done then we get bitter and frustrated.  And when WE approach God and others with OUR needs first we are primed for DISCONNECTION.

No question, LOVE has the power to change people—just think about the love that was visible on the Cross.  Interesting to consider, don’t you think?—the Cross that is.  Is there a greater display of LOVE than the Cross?  There is both a vertical and horizontal piece to the Cross—if they both weren’t there it would not be a Cross—it would simply be a pole—or a piece of wood.  Yet, on the Cross, Jesus embodied His LOVE for the Father and His LOVE for others. 

So it is with “The Jesus Creed.”  The vertical piece is LOVE for God and the horizontal piece is our LOVE for others—if they do not remain connected then we are just a bunch of sticks. The word says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13).  The word also says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  It also says, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot by my disciple” (Luke 14: 27).  Friends, the point is the vertical and horizontal pieces of LOVE must remain connected—when they are I think we then begin to remember what our Lord Jesus asks of us.  We begin to embody the “Love Connection.”

Does your love of God overwhelm and overcome your heart, making every heartbeat keep pace with God's love for you?  Does your love of God inform your mind, making love the mainspring of all your thoughts?  Does your love of God penetrate your soul, making your every prayer a plea not for yourself and your own desires, but an offering formed by love?  Does your love of God flow through the strength of your body, making your every step a step toward love in action?

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.  “Your son is here,” she said to the old man.  She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.  Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent.  He reached out his hand.  The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of LOVE and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.  All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of LOVE and strength.  Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile—but he refused.  Throughout the night—few words were spoken—but instead, the old man simply held tightly to his son all through the night.

The inevitable happened—just before dawn the old man passed away.  Upon which the Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.  He then waited outside the room.  Finally, the nurse returned.  She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.  “Who was that man?” he asked.  The nurse was stunned by his question—she said, “He was your father.”  The Marine said, “No he wasn’t.  I never saw him before in my life.”  The nurse asked, “Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”  He said, “I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here.  When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.  You see, I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.  His son was killed in the war today, and I was sent to inform him.  What was this gentleman’s name?”  The nurse, with tears in her eyes answered, Mr. William Grey.”

Friends, the connection had been made—and it made a difference.  It is like someone once said, “We are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience.  We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience.” 

When our LOVE for God and our LOVE for others remain connected—we can rest assured that we “are not far from the kingdom of God.”  And isn’t where we want to be—regardless of the date or month?

I hope all your dates are good ones!

AMEN.