Day 9 What Does Real Love Look Like? (Part 2)
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 1Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:13-16
Romans 12 to 15 is a sustained exhortation to let love govern and shape all our relationships. There are twelve components to love in 12:9-16. We have looked at the first eight previously and now touch on the next six.
(9) generosity: ‘Share with God’s people who are in need’ (12:13)
This literally reads ‘Enter into fellowship (koinoneo) with the needs of the saints.’ This could mean either to share in peoples’ needs and sufferings, or to share our resources with them. In the early church in Jerusalem the Christians ‘had everything in common’ (Acts 2:42ff). They shared their possessions with those needier than themselves.
(10) hospitality: ‘Practice hospitality’ (12:13)
Generosity was shown to the needy and hospitality to visitors. Hospitality was especially important in those days because inns were few and far between and were often unsafe anyway. Travelling missionaries and ordinary believers depended on the kindness of other Christians. The NIV’s ‘practice’ actually meant ‘to pursue.’
A break between verses 13 and 14 is marked by a shift in style and subject manner. The earlier passage emphasised relationships with believers but Paul now shows how love can be shown to non-Christians. He may be quoting from Jesus’ teaching here. Paul shows more dependence on Jesus’ teachings in this part of Romans than he does anywhere else in his letters. The way he weaves references into his own exhortations without especially citing Jesus is typical of the way the early Christians absorbed Jesus’ teaching into their own ethical tradition.
(11) good will: ‘Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse’ (12:14)
Blessing and cursing are opposites, wishing people either good or ill, health or harm. The persecutors are outsiders but the church is encouraged to respond as Jesus told His own disciples to (Luke 6:27,28).
(12) empathy: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn’ (12:15)
Love doesn’t stand aloof from other’s joys or pains. Love identifies with them, whether in rejoicing or in grief. Love enters into others’ experiences and emotions.
(13) harmony: ‘Live in harmony with one another’ (12:16)
Paul literally wrote: ‘Think the same things towards one another.’ The wording is almost identical with Philippians 2:2 where he appealed to the Philippians to be ‘like-minded’ and ‘one is spirit and purpose.’ When Christians have a renewed mind (12:2) they share the same convictions and concerns. Living and working in harmony is not possible without common convictions and concerns.
(14) humility: ‘Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited’ (12:16)
Jesus moved freely and naturally with social outcasts and calls us to do the same with equal freedom and naturalness. ‘People of low position’ translates a single Greek word that can mean ‘humble people’ or ‘humble things.’ Paul is either exhorting believers to associate with ‘down and outers’ in the community or to give themselves to menial work. Most NIV translations have this second meaning as a marginal note.
In summary Christian love (agape) is generous and hospitable, shows good will and empathy. It is marked by harmony and genuine humility. In the verses leading up to those covered here, Paul has said Christian love is sincere, discerning, affectionate and respectful. It is enthusiastic and joyful, patient and prayerful.