Webbijbel
Gert-Jan Van Zanten
Brotherly Love (Kindness) – 2 Peter 1
Written by Joanne Beckley
The apostle Peter wrote a beautiful beginning to his letter when he
combined God’s gifts and then laid out our own offerings we are to
develop in Him in return. As we gradually add virtue to our faith,
knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and love, we feel
like we’re making headway. But when it comes to brotherly love, this
is when the rubber meets the road. Do we really and truly develop
true feelings for every person in the congregation like we should?
Or is there always someone that “I just don’t cotton to”, that “rubs
me the wrong way”.
Peter understood that brotherly love does not come to us
automatically. The apostle Paul put it even more bluntly: “Be kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving
preference to one another”, Rom 12:10. We are to give all diligence,
to make a concerted effort to feel warmth and tenderness toward all
our brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, it is the lack of
brotherly love within a congregation that begins the downward spiral
of destruction of that group. When this breakdown occurs, it isn’t
long before a doctrinal issue will be found to justify division
within the group. Brotherly kindness is a command. Let us heed.
But why is it difficult?
We have major differences among us! Ages that think differently,
wide economic status, little or much educational opportunities,
slow-fast thinkers, diverse personalities, even different kinds of
parental philosophes–they all come into play when we consider one
another.
Is there any solution to a sideways problem between us?
Absolutely! The apostle Peter began with the solution: to remember
and appreciate we share a common faith (2 Pet 1:1), common blessings
(3), a common hope (4), a common love for the Lord (8), even as we
fight a common enemy. When we keep this in mind, we cannot help but
rejoice in our brotherhood.
Developing brotherly love with someone quite different from you or
me is going to take patience, while we deliberately make a conscious
effort to put away “all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil
speaking with all malice.” We will deliberately replace this with
“kindness, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in
Christ forgave” us, Eph 6:31-32. We will have to deliberately find
ways to s-h-o-w love, deeper than a off-handed shake or hug
(“sincere love of the brethren”, 1 Pet 1:22). Bill Hall gave an
excellent reminder in my hearing: my brother (or sister) is a slave,
God’s servant! Who am I to interfere or judge his service? “To God
he stands or falls” and “it is God who is able to make him stand”
(Rom 14:4). Talk about a stopped-in-our-tracks moment! Obviously, we
are going to have to start focusing more and more on our
similarities and carry the infirmities (scruples of conscience) of
spiritually weak brethren (Rom 15:1). We just might be one of those
that someone else is carrying.
Brotherly love requires a conscious effort to have good feelings
toward our brethren. It means I must! I can! I will! find a way to
enjoy being in the company of someone I previously didn’t like and
develop good feelings toward him/her, rejoicing in our shared goal.
This mutual goal will focus both of us and cause us to minimize,
even be blind toward our differences. Isn’t this what we do in our
physical families, yes, even as we strive to create a loving home?
Frankly, the show stopper is in 1 John 4. If I can just remember and
be humbled by the knowledge of all I’ve done against God–and He
still loves me–surely I can love my brother who has done very little
against me.
