“In contrast to a love that is passionate and inclined primarily to pleasure, agápe is a kind and self-sacrificing love, focused on selflessly seeking the good of the loved one, knowing how to lean also on someone who humanly does not deserve it,” writes Dr. Przemyslaw Kubisiak, lecturer on the Fundamentals of Biblical Hebrew, the Synoptic Gospels and the Writings of John, and Biblical Archaeology in a commentary for the Heschel Center of the Catholic University of Lublin for Sunday, May 5.
In the pericope Jn 15:9-17, Jesus refers to two patterns of love. The first is the love of the Father for the Son, Jesus. The term for the relationship that occurs between the Father and the Son is most often referred to by the verb agapao or the corresponding noun agápe. The Gospel of John uses this term of love exclusively, and uses it most often of all the Gospels, as many as 44 times. The specific meaning of the Greek term agapao or agápe is the love inherent in relationships within the family, especially parents to children and vice versa. The author of the Fourth Gospel chose and took a liking to this very term of love and applied it to describe the bond between God as Father and His Son, thus wishing to show the special connection and communion between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
The second pattern is Jesus’ love, first of all for his disciples, but also for unbelievers and his opponents. Each disciple knows how much he was loved from his first encounter with him. Jesus cared for them, was patient, gently pointed out defects and ways to overcome them, forgave and served them, developed their skills, met their needs.
Jesus leaves no doubt what kind of love he has in mind: “No one has greater love than this, when someone gives his life for his friends” (v. 13). So it’s not about some sentiment or emotional attachment to another person, but about “pro-existence” or “being for others,” an attitude of self-giving, going so far as to give one’s own life for them. Rarely, however, do we face the necessity of showing this in a heroic manner. Much more often, this “giving of one’s life for the brethren” must be expressed in an altogether non-spectacular way, in a concrete, faithful commitment to loved ones, or neighbors in general, in the family, or in the wider community (cf. 1 John 3:16-18).
The Gospel defines such love by the term “agápe,” quite rare in classical Greek, for this love too was even unknown before Jesus came into the world. In contrast to a love that is passionate and inclined primarily to pleasure, agápe is a kind and self-sacrificing love, focused on selflessly seeking the good of the loved one, knowing how to lean also on someone who humanly does not deserve it. Cardinal Ravasi said, “If we are even people full of merit, and we do not have the spirit of this love within us, our actions will be something external and cold, and we ourselves will fall into self-indulgence or spectacular gestures.” “A sounding cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1) was what the ancient Greeks called just such a person, conceited and empty, who makes a lot of noise around himself, and… nothing more.
“This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:17) Living a life based on love is the fundamental vocation of every human being, because his Creator is God-Love. Every human being was created in the image and likeness of Infinite Love, i.e. God, therefore love should manifest itself in the fulfillment of those tasks to which he or she has been called in family, professional, political, social, priestly, religious, solitary, hermit life. We are called to bear good and lasting fruit everywhere. This will happen when our actions, words and thoughts are born out of love for God and love for our neighbors. God wants to give us everything we ask Him for…If we ask in Jesus’ Name…And if we abide in His love.
About the Author:
Dr. Przemysław Kubisiak – is a graduate of the Institute of Biblical Studies at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Lublin. He is a lecturer in Biblical Hebrew Language and the Synoptic Gospels and the Writings of John at the Catholic University of Lublin’s Bible Formation Course and in Biblical Archaeology at the Rzeszow Bible Academy. Author of the monograph entitled. “Pondering the Book of Jonah” and more than a dozen scientific articles. He cooperates with the journals Lodz Theological Studies and “Living Archaeology”. As a lecturer, he also cooperates with the Civitas Cristiana Association. Dr. Kubisiak is interested in archaeology, geography and topography of the Levant countries. In his spare time, he enjoys astronomy and astrophotography.
