A Father's Love

In Nomine Iesu
Romans 5:6-15
June 15, 2008
Pentecost 4A – Proper 5

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus~

[Picking daisy petals] He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me . . . .

Love can be a fickle thing, can’t it? It seems like people are falling in love all the time, and then falling out of love almost as often! Human love is fickle and unpredictable. It doesn’t conform to any rules or regulations. The people that I love, you might find to be completely repulsive. And the people that you love, I might find to be totally obnoxious. Love is, indeed, a fickle thing.

Everybody wants to be loved. But let’s face the facts—you and I aren’t the most lovable people in the world. In fact, let’s conduct a little experiment. Think for a moment about all the people that you love. And by that I mean, think about all the people to whom you can say, “I love you.” Now subtract your spouse. Subtract all other family members. Subtract anyone who already loves you. How many loved ones are left?

What this shows is that most of the time our love for other people is related to their love for us. As someone once put it, “It’s nice to be nice to the nice.” In other words, it’s relatively easy to love a loving person. After all, how many people do you love who don’t love you right back?

But in Romans chapter 5 today we learn that God’s love is radically different. God’s love is not fickle or uncertain. Nor does God only love those who are lovable. Nor does God only love those who love Him right back. In this chapter St. Paul was inspired to describe you and me in a variety of ways, and “lovable” isn’t one of the words he chose. Instead, God’s Word from Romans five says that we are powerless—says that we are so morally weak that we can’t earn God’s love no matter what we do—says that we are ungodly—sinners one and all—enemies of God according to our sinful nature.

The bottom line is—we are simply un-lovable. Even worse, there’s nothing we can do or say to make our heavenly Father love us. We are by nature ornery and disobedient and disrespectful children. And without God’s love we are eternally lost.

But this is the miracle of God’s love: even though we are sinful and unlovable, yet your heavenly Father loves you with an indescribable love. Through faith in Jesus, you are the apple of His eye. You are the love of His life. You are—quite literally—“to die for.” St. Paul puts it this way: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man . . . or even for a good man. . . . But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were God’s unlovable, spiteful, sinful enemies—Christ died for us—for you. And that death on the cross for your sins is the unmistakable sign—the undeniable proof—the demonstration of God’s love for you.

But this love isn’t fickle. This love isn’t shaky or uncertain. This love of God for you is what the Bible terms "agape" love. What is agape love? This love—the kind of love God has for you—is not just a feeling or an emotion. Agape love is rooted in action—in doing—in works of service and sacrifice. What would you think if your spouse was telling you all the time, “I love you, honey,” but then never did anything to demonstrate that love? Talk, they say, is cheap.

But God’s love for you isn’t just talk. It is agape. It’s rooted in actions and deeds and service and sacrifice. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That’s the proof. That’s the demonstration. That’s the action. That’s the incontrovertible evidence which for all time points you to the fact that you are loved—that your sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus, you are lovable. You are beautiful. You are His treasured possession for all eternity.

God the Father shows you His love by sending Jesus to be your Savior. And perhaps on this Father’s day it’s appropriate to consider a father’s love. I suspect that my own father was probably like a lot of other fathers. My dad didn’t tell me that he loved me every single day. The words, “I love you,” didn’t pass through his lips on a daily basis. But I never had any doubt about my father’s love. Why not? Because he demonstrated his love for me every day—going to work every day at a job he didn’t particularly like so that he could support our family—attending nearly every sporting event and musical and theatrical event I ever participated in. He helped me buy my first car and taught me how to change the oil. And most importantly, he brought me and my family to the Lord’s house every Sunday. And in these and other ways my father’s love was demonstrated. He proved it by his deeds and actions.

That’s how it is with the love of our heavenly Father. It’s both spoken and demonstrated for you. In fact, today’s text literally says, “God keeps on demonstrating His love for us . . .” God continually, in an ongoing way, demonstrates His love. God’s love demonstrated at the cross . . . is demonstrated yet today. Your baptism is an expression of that love. There at the font He adopted you to be His own child and washed away your sins. Into your life the Lord of the Harvest has also sent preachers. So that you wouldn’t be harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, God has graciously sent His called and ordained servants to this flock called “Our Savior” for 75 years now. And these preachers, with all their faults and frailties, are a flesh-and-blood “demonstration” of God’s love for you.

Today God keeps on demonstrating His love for you by feeding you with the very body and blood of His Son. Here in this meal God takes the love He poured out on the cross and gives it to you personally. He forgives all the sins that make us so unlovable.

[picking daisy petals] He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. He loves YOU, too! There’s no doubt about it. He’s serious about you. For richer for poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health, He takes you to be His own. His love is certain and absolute. It never ends. Still today, God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Amen.