Would you tell your mother or father, “I kind of love you”? Would you say to your husband or wife, “I love you a little bit”? Would you say to your children, “I will love you once in a while”? As the Apostle Peter encourages the Christians of the first century to live holy lives, to live for God as God’s chosen people, he reminds them to love each other deeply.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

We are living in the end times. The Lord’s return could be any day. The end is near. And since it is near, Christians have the impetus to be self-controlled in their lives, turning to the Lord in prayer, having minds focused on the Lord and his will. The end is near. Be focused on your Lord. And as you prepare for the Lord’s return, above all else, make sure you are loving one another. Don’t sort of love others, don’t kind of love others. Don’t temporarily love others. But love each other deeply.

The word Peter uses for “deeply” means an unceasing activity, with intensity and perseverance. Its derived meaning is to stretch out. And this reminds us of how love covers over a multitude of sins. God stretched out his love to mankind by giving us Jesus. Jesus stretched out his love as he stretched out his hands upon the cross. Look at the intensity of love laying down his life for sinners. Look at the perseverance of love that is stretched out to us through Word and Sacrament, forgiving us of the multitude of our sins every day, week, month, and years of our life. That is the deep love that Peter encourages us to have for one another.

We love just as God loved us in Jesus. His love that covers our sins is the love that moves us to forgive the sins of one another. His love covers their sins too. And we too then stretch ourselves out to love, as an unceasing activity that is as intense as and perseveres as the love of Christ to us. And here is where we have to stay clear-minded, focused on Jesus and in prayer for strength because here is the challenge for us as individuals and as a congregation.

Love shows hospitality, literally, Peter says “stranger hospitality”. It’s very easy to love the brothers and sisters in our congregation that we like and get along with, and have things in common with, but what about the others? Love each other deeply. It’s easy to love and share the gospel with others who are like us, but what about those who are not? Love each other deeply.

Love by using your gifts to serve the Lord. So many of us use our gifts for the secular world, filling up our time so that the easy answer to Peter’s encouragement is, “I don’t have time.” Use your gifts from the Lord to serve the Lord who loved you deeply.

Love by proclaiming the Word of God, share the Word of God. Tell others about Jesus. And when you do, speak with the confidence that God has given you the task, and gives you the manuscript to follow. And whenever you serve the Lord, no matter what the form or function, do it with God’s strength. That reminds us that serving isn’t easy. To serve the Lord, to love one another deeply needs the strength of God that he gives generously by his Spirit through the Word. The Word that proclaims that Jesus is love, that God loved us and gave himself for us all.

In this new year, by the love and strength of the Lord, we as a Christian congregation will strive to love deeply. We will show it in our hospitality, in our welcome, in our Gospel proclamation, in our nurture, in our admonishment, in our call to repentance, in our call to serve, in our reliance on the Means of Grace. We will tell the Lord and show each other and the world that we will not kind of, sort of, a little bit or temporarily love, but we will love deeply. Let’s pray to the Lord for strength and action, to show us just what this love can and will do in the lives of the members and the ministry of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, in La Crescent, Minnesota; to the glory, praise and honor of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Keep Christ First,

Pastor Chris Christenson