The Greatest Love

Akristu onse amadziŵa bwino mawu omalizira ogwiritsidwa ntchito ndi Mtumwi Paulo mu 1 Akorinto 13 kutsatira kusanthula kwake kouziridwa kwa Chikondi: “Ndipo tsopano zitsala chikhulupiriro, chiyembekezo, chikondi, zitatu izi; koma chachikulu cha izi ndicho chikondi. Mu Mutu 12 Paulo anakambitsirana za ubale wa mphatso zauzimu ndi Chikondi potseka mutuwo ndi mawu awa: “… Njira yabwino kwambiri iyi ndiyo kuyenda kwachikondi.

Kodi mayendedwe achikondi amenewa ndi ofunika bwanji? Yankho tikulipeza pa 1 Akorinto 13:1-3 : “Ndingakhale ndilankhula malilime a anthu ndi a angelo, koma ndiribe chikondi, ndikhala mngoli yolira, kapena nguli yolira; + Ngati ndili ndi mphatso yaulosi, + ndipo ndimatha kumvetsa zinsinsi zonse + ndi kudziwa zinthu zonse, + ndipo ngati ndili ndi chikhulupiriro + chokhoza kusuntha mapiri, + koma ndilibe chikondi, sindili kanthu. Ngati ndipereka zonse zomwe ndili nazo kwa osauka, ndipo ngati ndipereka thupi langa kumoto, koma ndiribe chikondi, sindipindula kanthu.

Yesu atafunsidwa kuti ndi lamulo lalikulu liti, anayankha kuti: “Uzikonda Yehova Mulungu wako ndi mtima wako wonse, moyo wako wonse, ndi maganizo ako onse. Ili ndilo lamulo lalikulu ndi loyamba. Ndipo lachiwiri lofanana nalo ndi ili: Uzikonda mnzako monga udzikonda iwe mwini” ( Mateyu 22:37-39 )

Chikondi chimene chikunenedwa m’malemba onsewa si chimene dziko limachidziwa monga chikondi. Ndi chikondi chauzimu chozikidwa ndi Mulungu chochokera kumwamba. Pali mawu awiri otchuka omwe amagwiritsidwa ntchito ponena za chikondi mu Chigriki choyambirira. Mmodzi ndi philio ndipo winayo ndi agape. Philio ndi chikondi chocheperapo kuposa agape. Philio akuyimira chikondi ndi nkhawa zomwe zimalimbikitsa kuchitapo kanthu kwa ena ndikuyembekeza kuzindikiridwa. Agape angakhale zonsezi koma zambiri. Ndi chikondi chopanda dyera ndi chodzimana. Palibe chitsanzo chabwino kwambiri cha chikondi chimenechi kuposa chimene timachiona mwa Ambuye Yesu Khristu amene anapereka moyo wake monga nsembe kuti awombole anthu onse ku chilango cha uchimo ndi imfa. Awo amene ali ndi agape mofananamo amalolera kunyema mkate ndi kuthira vinyo kwa ena.

Agape nthawi zonse amatuluka kunja. Palibe malire ndipo sayembekezera kubweza chilichonse chifukwa ubwino wa ena ndiye chinthu chake chachikulu. Ndi zachilendo kwa umunthu kotero kuti sizimvetsetsedwa kapena kuchitidwa ndi munthu wachibadwa. Ndi pamene Mzimu Woyera wa Mulungu ukhala mu mtima wa Mkhristu wobadwanso mwatsopano pamene chikondi choterocho chimakhala mwa munthu. Awo odzazidwa ndi chikondi cha agape chochokera kumwamba amasonkhezeredwa kuchita monga momwe Yesu akanachitira ndipo nthaŵi zonse amakhala ofunitsitsa kulipira mtengo wakuchita chifuniro cha Atate monga momwe Yesu anachitira. Cholinga cha Mulungu potumiza Ambuye Yesu Khristu kuti akhale Mpulumutsi wa anthu chinali chikondi cha agape. Mawu a pa Yohane 3:16, 17 amatsindika mfundo imeneyi: “Pakuti Mulungu anakonda dziko lapansi kotero, kuti anapatsa Mwana wake wobadwa yekha, kuti yense wakukhulupirira Iye asatayike, koma akhale nawo moyo wosatha. Pakuti Mulungu sanatuma Mwana wake kudziko lapansi kuti adzaweruze dziko lapansi, koma kuti dziko lapansi lipulumutsidwe ndi Iye.” Chikondi cha Mulungu chinasefukira, kutipatsa ife Chipulumutso, pamtengo waukulu kwa Iye ndi Mwana Wake Wokondedwa.

Chikondi Chachikristu choterechi chimasonyezedwa poganizira ubwino wa ngakhale mdani. Pamene Stefano anali kumenyedwa ndi miyala ndi khamu la anthu aukaliwo, iye sanade nkhawa ndi iyeyo, koma anthu amene anali m’kati mwa zoipazi. Talingalirani chitsanzo chake cha chikondi cha agape cholembedwa pa Machitidwe 7:59, 60 : “Pamene anamponya miyala, Stefano anapemphera, nati, Ambuye Yesu, landirani mzimu wanga. Kenako anagwada n’kufuula kuti: ‘Ambuye, musawaŵerengere tchimo ili. Pamene adanena izi, adagona tulo. Palibe chidani, palibe njiru, kudera nkhaŵa chabe za moyo wawo wauzimu! Ndi Mkhristu wokhwima mokwanira yekha, wodzazidwa ndi Mzimu Woyera ndi chikondi cha agape, amene angathe kupemphera motere.

Chikondi chonga cha Mulungu chimenechi ndicho kulola kwathu kuti Yehova agwire ntchito m’miyoyo yathu. Timapeza chikondi cholongosoledwa bwino kwambiri pa 1 Akor. 13:44-8 : “Chikondi chileza mtima, chiri chokoma mtima; Sichichita nsanje, sichidzitama, sichidzikuza. Sichichita mwano, sichichita zofuna zake zokha, sichikwiya, sichisunga zolakwa zilizonse. Chikondi sichikondwera ndi zoipa, koma chikondwera ndi choonadi; Nthawi zonse imateteza, imakhulupirira nthawi zonse, ikuyembekeza nthawi zonse, imapirira nthawi zonse. Chikondi sichitha.”

Pamene munthu wachibadwa aŵerenga ndandanda imeneyi, amaganiza kuti zimenezi n’zosatheka kuzipeza, chifukwa pamene ayesa kukhala ndi moyo mogwirizana ndi zinthu zimenezi, amadzipeza akusowa momvetsa chisoni ndipo pamapeto pake amasiya. Koma ichi si chikondi chomwe tingasonyeze patokha! Tiyenera kukumbukira zimene Paulo ananena pa Afil. 1:6 : “Ndikukhulupirira ichi, kuti Iye amene adayamba ntchito yabwino mwa inu, adzayitsiriza kufikira ataitsiriza, kufikira tsiku la Kristu Yesu.” Ngati simunalole kuti Mulungu ayambe ntchito yake mwa inu, pangani chisankho lero, ndipo adzakusinthani inu mu chifaniziro cha Mwana wake.

All Christians are familiar with the closing words used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 following his inspired analysis of Love: “And now abides faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” In Chapter 12 Paul had discussed the relationship of spiritual gifts to Love by closing the chapter with these words: “... eagerly desire the greater gifts and I will show you a more excellent way.” This more excellent way is the walk of love.

How important is this walk of love? We find the answer in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Jesus, when asked what was the greatest commandment, answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

The love that is spoken of in all these texts is not what the world knows as love. It is a God-based spiritual love that comes from above. There are two prominent words used for love in the original Greek. One is philio and the other is agape. Philio is a love that is less than agape. Philio represents the affection and concern that motivates action towards others with expectation of recognition. Agape would be all that but much more. It is a love that is totally selfless and self-sacrificing. There is no better example of this love than what we see in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life as a sacrifice to redeem all men from the penalty of sin and death. Those who possess agape likewise are willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for others.

Agape always flows outward. It is unconditional and expects nothing in return because the welfare of others is its primary concern. It is totally foreign to human nature and therefore not understood or exercised by the natural man. It is only when God’s Holy Spirit indwells a born-again Christian’s heart that such a love exists within a person. Those filled with agape love from above are motivated to do as Jesus would do and are always willing to pay the cost of doing the Father’s will as did Jesus. God’s motive for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Savior of mankind was agape love. The words of John 3:16, 17 make this very point: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” God’s love flowed out, offering us Salvation, at great cost to Himself and His Beloved Son.

Such Christian love expresses itself in concern for the welfare of even an enemy. When Stephen was being battered with rocks thrown at him by the furious mob, his concern was not for himself but for those who were in the process of this evil act. Consider his example of agape love as recorded in Acts 7:59, 60: “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.” No hatred, no malice, just concern for their spiritual welfare! Only a fully mature Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit and agape love, can utter such a prayer.

This God-like Love is really our allowing the Lord to work in our lives. We find love beautifully described in 1 Cor. 13: 44-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, it always perseveres. Love never fails.”

When the natural man reads this list, he thinks this is impossible to attain unto, for when he tries to live out these things, he finds himself woefully lacking and eventually gives up. But this is not a love we can exercise on our own! We need to remember what Paul says in Phil. 1:6: “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” If you haven’t allowed God to begin His work in you, make the choice to do so today, and He will totally change you into the image of His Son.