Week 13—Wednesday Galatians 6:14-15
Galatians 6:14-15
“YOU THINK AS MEN THINK”
We have been studying the redemption of the word love—redemption from eros to agape. So far we have come to the edges of that redemption. Now we look into its depths—we look at the cross. Only at the cross do we see the true nature of agape.
When Jesus spoke to his disciples about his going to the cross, Peter took him by the arm and began to rebuke him: “Heaven forbid! . . . No, Lord, this shall never happen to you.” Then Jesus turned and said to Peter: “Away with you, Satan; you are a stumbling-block to me. You think as men think, not as God thinks” (Matt. 16:22-23, NEB). Peter was thinking in eros terms—save yourself. Jesus was thinking in agape terms—give yourself. Jesus said that Peter was thinking “as men think”—save yourself, and not in terms as God thinks—give yourself. For eros is love primarily interested in one’s self.
The same division comes out at the cross. Five classes converge upon one thing: “Save yourself, come down from the cross and we will believe in you.” “The passersby,” “the chief priests with the lawyers and elders” (Matt. 27:39-43, NEB), “the rulers,” “the soldiers,” and “one of the criminals” (Luke 23:35-39, NEB)—all take the same position: Save yourself. Peter for the moment thought “as men thought.” Only one, the penitent thief, saw through the mystery of things, saw that Jesus was saving others therefore he could not save himself, and said: “Lord, save me.” He passed from the eros conception to the agape conception—the single exception in all that crowd. And he passed from perdition to paradise the moment he did. He knew little, but he knew Everything when he saw this Divine Self-giving Love. He saw into the very heart of Reality. For the cross throws back the curtains and lets us see the heart of God.
O Savior, save us from not seeing This. For This that we see in the Cross is Reality. If we see This we see Everything—if we miss This we miss Everything. Then help us to walk softly and have eyes that see and hearts that love. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I look within and see eros, around me and I see eros, I look at Jesus and see agape.