Love according to God

No word can adequately glorify love, this heavenly ladder. Love is co-throne with the Father, love combines earthly with heavenly; for worthy praise she lacks neither language nor resourcefulness of mind; the matter itself shows that love is the boss of a better life. She clothes God's creation with perfect splendor, she is the educator of many in unity, the organizer of hosts of men in the form of angels and people, like one and holy beauty. Being a single image, it gives an image to all rational creation for likeness to God; He (God) does not rest in those who are alien to Him, but in those who are born of Him and united (with Him). Despite their multitude, they all, having reached a single agreement, express through themselves the most beautiful and delightful harmony. Thus, the many and varied actions of the Holy Spirit, by their combination into a single and good agreement, express God-like and God-worthy beauty, most precious before God and worthy of the good joy of the Creator. Out of this love for people, God came down to earth and lived with people; not secretly and far away, as before, when He was worshiped (through) sacrifices; but he came down as a cohabitant with people, for the purpose of likening and communicating with us, so that, raising everyone into kinship with the one Spirit, he could make of us, as it were, one body and one spirit. As a servant of the Lord and a helper of the Spirit, divine love unites what is divided and establishes what is alienated. Oh, the amazing work of Christ - this love! Oh, world-saving secret! Out of love, the Father and God sends his only begotten Son into the world: “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her” (“Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for her”) (Eph. 5:25). Love willingly labors for its neighbor; we are commanded to be slaves to one another out of love: “serve one another through love” (“work for one another through love”) (Gal. 5:13). Love makes the property of each individual common to all; love points you to your neighbor as if it were yourself, and bears the sins (of others) as if it were your own. You will be angry in small things, but in many things you will be forgiving. Through love the flock of Christ grows; love humbles the bloodthirsty spirit, dulls the enemy’s weapon, forgets all enemies and introduces the peaceful life of Christ into the world: “nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight” (“they will not lift up tongue against tongue of sword, and no one will learn how to fight”) (Is. 2:4). As a result, “in his days the righteous will prosper, and there will be an abundance of peace, until the moon ceases” (“in his days righteousness and abundance of peace will shine, until the moon is gone”) (Ps. 72:7). The image of a peaceful life also brightened. O love, leader of the blessed world! She drives out a hostile demon from people; because of her, the devil groans in the world of people, but the angels then rejoice, seeing among people the image of their own world; we are friendly to each other; For a brother, it is beyond all joy that he sees his brother. Paul says that he is consoled in his sorrows by the coming of Titus (2 Cor. 7:6), and when he is not around, he is not at peace in soul. Love for God and love for brothers are two inseparable (loves). “And this commandment we have from God,” says John, “that whoever loves God should also love his brother.” The Lord also said this to Peter: “If you love me, “feed my sheep” (“feed my sheep”) (John 21:16), that is: “Show your love for the shepherd by diligently caring for the sheep.” Just as indestructible is the wall, strengthened by bonds of huge stones and protecting from enemy attacks, so indestructible is the union of saints, harmonized by the bonds of love and repelling the temptations of the devil. After all, how beautiful are plants planted in order, or a well-formed army when it marches in orderly and beautiful rows! It's fun; but the most pleasant and delightful of all is the beauty of those united mutually in love, like a natural union; in the eyes of God it is important and valuable. Listen to David, or better, the grace of the Holy Spirit: “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together!” Nothing else, nothing else from the earth, but “brothers should live together” (“Behold, whatever is good, or whatever is good, but let the brethren live together”); (it is) like ointment poured on the head (Ps. 133:1-2). Choirs of angels surround our choirs and rejoice for us that we imitate them in our lifestyle. If, according to the word of the Lord, there is joy in heaven over one repentant sinner, then there is much more for such a multitude of those who are saved. Already from here the joy of the future age is revealed, for the devil there is sadness, the scattering of demons, when we form mutual choirs, so that in the unanimous and like-minded praise of God we imitate the all-tuned and glorious cherubic singing. Just as they sing the Trisagion hymn, alternating one after another, so we, in their image, forming two choirs and echoing each other, sing a spiritual hymn. Surprise arises among those on the outside, desire among the spectators, love among the listeners, and we experience a divine, useful feeling, through which we notice in ourselves that in all of us the reasons for malice and division are being eradicated; all who see heavenly life on earth glorify God because of us. Therefore, Paul teaches that we should all have the same wisdom and say the same thing (Philip. 2:2) - because of this, Christ sends the apostles in twos during the embassy; even to women (Paul) offers like-mindedness, so that the council of virgins would not be deprived of participation in this angelic likeness. Therefore, he says: “I beg Euodia, I beg Syntyche to think the same about the Lord” (“I beseech Euodia, and Syntyche... to think the same about the Lord”) (Phil. 4:2). He encourages those who are superior to each other to take care of themselves, so as not to be divided by love, especially vanity, but to be in mutual unity and union, sacrificing their honor for their neighbor. So, that which relates to sacred and divine love is respectable among us and truly beautiful. Let us also look at the instructions of the law. And they teach useful things. “Do not despise,” they say, “the needy, give a portion to the oppressed; let the poor man taste your fruits, and let him take the remnants of the harvest and grape harvest for food; in the seventh year may the slave be set free, and in the fiftieth year may all debt be forgiven; and those who have sold their property, let them take it again, without ransom. Do not demand interest, do not take millstones, millstones, or clothes as collateral from the poor, and do not even go under compulsion to take collateral. Do not leave your neighbor's draft animals in danger, even in case of enmity (neighbor); but, having become a servant (for him), as if for a friend, take the wandering animal to him, and stop the enmity, if a reason presents itself.” All these covenants are not from anything else, but from a sacred and much-desired love before God, and the gospel covenants are aimed at the same thing. Having said many things that complement the law, (the Lord) added: “Do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (“Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who do evil to you”) (Matthew 5:44). “Stop hostility everywhere and plant love. Let love for each other be your duty, never fulfilled.” Paul says: “Do not owe anything to anyone except mutual love” (“Owe nothing to anyone, just to love one another”) (Rom. 13:8). Just as every day we demand food for ourselves, and by past satiation we are not freed from the daily demand for it, but, forced by our nature, we serve it as if it were a duty, so in love we will preserve the same image: “a person cannot recount everything; The eye will not be satisfied with seeing, nor the ear will be filled with hearing” (“the eye of seeing will not be satisfied, neither will the ear of hearing be filled”) (Ec. 1:8). Light is pleasant to the eyes, and no one's eyes are tired of seeing, no one's ears are tired of hearing; so we need to perform the desired work of love without laziness, and never get enough. Torrential rain cannot extinguish love; “And now these three remain: faith, hope, love” (“these three remain, faith, hope, love,”) (1 Cor. 13:13). As it was from the beginning, so it will remain forever. May it be that by following it we may achieve eternal blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and in the Patrology of Min, classified as Spuria. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: