Memories of love

Acts 14: 21 - 27

21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.​ 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Beloved brothers and sisters, I come before you today not only as a pastor with more than fifteen years of ministry experience, but as a fellow pilgrim of faith, someone whose life has been profoundly transformed by Jesus Christ. I am a Christian because Jesus is my Savior and my Lord. I believe this with all my heart. He changed my life, and because of that, I have chosen to serve the Kingdom of God with gratitude, commitment, and hope.
 
I believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. I believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His sacrificial and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory. I believe that salvation is possible only through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in believers and enables us to live godly lives. I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, and I believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ. And from that faith, I want to invite us today to reflect together.
 
Jesus Christ reveals to us the depth of God’s incarnational love. Yet the world around us constantly reminds us that we live in a society wounded by violence, fear, and the absence of love. Every day, the news confronts us with stories of death and injustice. As Christians, we pray for the victims of violence, of every kind, but we also pray for those who cause violence, trusting that even hardened hearts can be transformed by God’s grace and reconciled to themselves, to others, and to God.
 
We appeal to authorities for justice and peace, but above all, we turn to God, the only One capable of transforming the reality in which we live.

Our reflection today, inspired by Scripture, will focus on three central truths:

• Salvation is a voluntary act of God that marks human history.
• Salvation is an act of love, and Jesus shares that love with those who follow Him.
• The Lord’s Supper calls us to remember salvation as a profound act of love.

 
In Exodus 12: 1 - 8 and 11 - 14, we find that salvation starts with God. The book of Exodus tells us that Israel’s history was shaped by suffering. Its nomadic origins and its geographical location often placed it at a disadvantage among powerful civilizations. Yet God was writing a story far greater than political power or military strength.
 
Ironically, Israel’s enslavement came after God had used an Israelite, Joseph, to save Egypt from famine. Over time, a new Pharaoh rose who no longer remembered Joseph and saw Israel not as a blessing but as a threat. Fear led to oppression, and oppression led to slavery. But God did not forget His people.
 
In Exodus 12, we encounter a decisive moment. God prepares Israel for liberation through a powerful symbol: the blood of a spotless lamb placed on the doorposts of their homes. This act was not magical; it was deeply theological. It was an act of trust, obedience, and hope. Salvation began not with Israel’s strength, but with God’s initiative.
 
God summoned His people into a project of liberation and announced that the time had come. Salvation entered history because God chose to act.
 
This memory became central to Israel’s identity, and it would later shape the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. As John Calvin beautifully expressed, the Supper leads us to the death and passion of Christ, then to His resurrection, assuring us of life and salvation, because through His victory the gates of paradise have been opened.
 
The book of Acts shows us that salvation did not remain confined to one people. Paul and Barnabas traveled from city to city proclaiming the Good News, strengthening believers, appointing leaders, and entrusting communities to the Lord.
 
This was not an easy mission. Scripture tells us plainly: “We must suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Yet love sustained the early church. When the apostles returned, they gathered the community and shared everything God had done, especially how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
 
Salvation created a movement of love. The church rejoiced not in its own success, but in the expansion of God’s grace. The story of salvation became their story.
 
In John 13: 31–35, Jesus did not merely teach love; He embodied it.
 
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus gathered His disciples around the table. He washed their feet. He shared a meal. He spoke not from fear, but from love. And then He gave them a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
 
This love became the defining mark of the early Christian community. It was so visible that outsiders could say, “See how they love one another.” That is why neither Peter nor Paul built movements around themselves. Their authority flowed from their relationship with Jesus, who had loved them first.
 
The Lord’s Supper was not a repetition of the past; it was the fulfillment of God’s promise. The Messiah Himself stood at the center of the celebration, embodying God’s love in its fullest expression.
 
Jesus did not teach love as an abstract concept. He taught love through presence, humility, and shared life. In Eastern culture, sharing a meal was a profound act of communion, and Jesus chose that moment to teach His disciples what love truly means.
 
He did not accuse them or condemn them for what was coming. Instead, He prepared them to love as He loved. Later, when He sent them into the world, He commanded them to teach everything He had taught, including this way of love.
 
This love challenges us to move beyond excessive individualism, rivalry, and fear. It calls us to recognize the other, not only those who think like us, but those who are different. Only this kind of love can confront racism, discrimination, stigma, and the many forces that destroy human coexistence.
 
Jesus’ love is not naïve. It is courageous. It seeks understanding even when harmed, and reconciliation even when misunderstood.
 
Today, loving in conventional ways is not enough. We are called to love with concrete actions, through respect, recognition, and commitment. To care not only for our families, but for our neighbors. To build peace where we live.
 
When we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember that we belong to one humanity, sharing one planet and one fragile future. May the Spirit of God move among us today, so that forgiveness, compassion, and commitment shape our lives.
 
May we never stop making love the center of a new civilization, beginning with our own hearts. Amen.