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When Love for Each Other is not Present
April 9, 2022

During the final night of his human life, Jesus was gathered with His disciples, and on this night, Jesus told them to continue in His love by keeping His commandments even as Jesus kept the commandments of the Father. Jesus explained that everything that He had taught was so that His joy could remain in them. Without this joy that comes from Jesus Christ, it is impossible for our joy to be full. It was then that Jesus gave a commandment to the disciples to love one another.

John 15:9-17
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

When we live life without love for each other, there are consequences and we can look to stories from the Bible to get an idea of what those consequences look like. Today, we’ll take a look at the story of Joseph, his father’s favorite, and the brother who was sold into slavery by his own family. Joseph was so favored by his father, that it was Joseph who was given the fanciest clothes to wear.

Jealousy set in with his brothers and they hated him. It wasn’t Joseph’s fault that he was his father’s favorite, and yet Joseph bore the hatred cast on him by his family. Things were so tense it was hard to carry on a conversation with him, and in all of this hatred, it seems like Joseph didn’t quite comprehend the animosity his brothers had for him. Joseph then had a dream and shared it with his brothers where they were binding sheaves in the field, and Joseph’s sheave stood in the middle of the other brother’s sheaves, and their sheaves bowed down to Joseph’s sheave, indicating they would be subservient to Joseph’s sheave.

Joseph’s brothers were besides themselves and hated Joseph even more because he shared his dream with them. Joseph then dreamed where the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. This time, when Joseph shared the dream with his father, his father rebuked him. This dream caused the brothers to continue to hate him, and his father filed away into memory this dream shared by Joseph.

The other brothers took the flock to Shechem, and Joseph’s father sent him to join his brothers. By the time Joseph arrived, the brothers already had moved on to Dothan, and Joseph made his way there. As his brothers saw him arriving, they began envisioning what life would be like if Joseph were no longer in their life. Some wanted to kill him, and Ruben persuaded them to not kill their brother, but to throw him into a pit.

When Joseph arrived, they quickly went to work first taking Joseph’s coat of many colors before throwing him into the pit with nothing to eat or drink. They were going to let Joseph starve to death. When there is no love for another person, it becomes easy to marginalize that other person. In the story of Joseph and his brothers, they decided they were missing out on a financial windfall by letting their brother die of starvation and thirst, when they could instead sell him into slavery. They hid this plot from Reuben who was still convinced that Joseph was being kept in the pit as a form of sibling rivalry. Joseph was then sold for twenty pieces of silver.

To create the false narrative that Joseph was attacked by a wild animal, they dipped his coat of many colors into goat’s blood, and took this back to Joseph. They lied and told Jacob they weren’t sure if this was Joseph’s coat or not. Jacob immediately knew it was Joseph’s coat and began to mourn. Meanwhile, Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt.

Genesis 37:2-36
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

God brought Joseph into a place of preeminence in Egypt and soon Joseph was ruling on behalf of Pharoah handling the affairs of the kingdom. Later during a time of drought, Joseph would find himself receiving foreign visitors and even had his brothers come before him to ask for food. The Bible indicates that Joseph did not forget what his brothers had done to him, and withheld his identity from them while he had them work extra hard to get the food they desired. Eventually, Joseph could not contain himself anymore and told them that he was their brother who had been sold into slavery. He then told them not to be ashamed of what they had done because it was all part of God’s plan to preserve life for the children of Israel. By this time Joseph was older, and described himself as a father to Pharaoh. Pharaoh trusted Joseph for advice on managing the affairs of the kingdom, and had given Joseph broad latitude in governing Egypt.

Joseph then told his brothers to go and bring his father Jacob to Egypt so the family could live in the most fertile part of the land. He told them to bring the entire extended family and all of their animals along with all of their possessions because the famine would be lasting five more years. Word of what happened got back to Pharaoh who was glad that Joseph’s family was coming to Egypt. He told Joseph that the brothers could take wagons from Egypt to bring their possessions with them, and if that wasn’t enough, to not worry because anything that was in Egypt, would easily be made available to them. Jacob was happy to hear that Joseph was alive and quickly decided that he would travel to Egypt.

Genesis 45:1-28
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him. And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Generations later, a king arose who knew nothing about how Joseph had saved Egypt from famine and only saw the children of Israel as a burden on the people of Israel who because of their nationality might side with enemies in time of war. To counter the potential threat, the Egyptians made life increasingly more difficult for the children of Israel leading to brutal slavery.

Exodus 1:8-14
Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

Because Joseph’s brothers hated Joseph, because Joseph’s brothers did not love Joseph, they marginalized Joseph. They considered Joseph to be disposable, a person who could be killed or sold into slavery. As only God can, God was able to work a pathway forward out of all of this to benefit His people. God’s working does not negate the hatred Joseph’s brothers had for him. The fulfillment of the visions that Joseph had does not negate the lack of love that was shown to Joseph by his brothers. There was still a lack of love that was willing to go all the way to death and instead settled for enslavement.

When there is lack of love between brethren, we also marginalize others and in the extreme would also be willing to go all the way to death. Jesus tells us that in the end time because iniquity abounds, the love of many will grow cold. If we believe we are living in the end time, then we have to be extra mindful not to have hate and a lack of love to come between us. If we forget love, if we allow conditions to exist where love is not present among the faithful, then Jesus tells us we are in danger of not enduring to the end. The concept of enduring to the end is connected to the waning of love. We cannot allow our love for each other to grow dim.

Matthew 24:9-14
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The Book of Revelation speaks of many churches, including the church of the Laodiceans, who are described by Jesus as being lukewarm. These Laodiceans are also self-described as having need of nothing living in a materialistic world. Those who have need of nothing also do not need love. Because they do not need love, they probably do not offer love. It is to these people that Jesus tells them to repent.

Revelation 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

In John’s first letter, we are told that if we are without love, we do not know God because God is love. Within the Church of God are some who reduce love to obedience to God’s law. In this passage, John clearly shows that we ought to love one another because God first loved us by sending Jesus Christ so that we could all have the opportunity for eternal life.

1 John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another

Peter writes that we are to have charity, love, among ourselves because love covers many sins. He adds that what we do is not to be done with reservation or because we have an obligation, implying that what we do is to be done through sincerity.

1 Peter 4:7-11
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

In another passage from John’s first letter, he explains in a backhanded manner that it is possible to have the appearance of righteousness and yet not be of God because there is not love for others. The message from the beginning, shown even in the earliest chapters of Genesis is the need to have love for others. Cain didn’t have love for his brother, and killed him very similar to Joseph’s brothers who plotted to kill him and instead sold him into slavery.

John shows that without love for others we are living a death sentence, because if we live without love for others, it is like we are murderers. The love that we are to have is not a love of emotion but of deed and action, and what is expected is as we have the ability to help others, we are to help others. If we have the ability to help others and do not help, we need to examine if we indeed have the love of God. Again, we are not told to give beyond our capacity. We are not told to give when there is no need. We are told to give as we are able when we are aware of need. When it comes to love, actions speak louder than words or emotions.

1 John 3:10-18 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Love is the absence of fear. If we have fear, our love is not yet made perfect. It’s important for us to become perfect in love so that in the day of judgment, a day when judgment is now on the house of God, when our faith is tried, we are not afraid and instead are bold. We live in a time when it seems like there is a concerted effort to keep society living in fear. We are called to have perfect love and the natural side effect of perfect love is boldness, so that we can in our day of trouble be David standing against Goliath.

1 John 4:17-19
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

Those who are fearful will not be in the Kingdom of God, meaning those who are not made perfect in love will not be in the Kingdom of God. We all can read the words of Revelation twenty one and take comfort in the imagery of a new heaven and new earth knowing that one day these images will be reality. The other part of that reality is we will only be part of that reality if we are made perfect in love, and now is the time for us to be moving on to perfection, the perfection of love where we have no fear.

Revelation 21:1-8
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

We know we will see hardship in the last days, how the evil that is in this world that is driven by fear because it cannot comprehend love, will seek to make war with those who are called, who are being made perfect in love. With our back against a wall in a time of incredible evil and struggle will we be bold having no fear because love is being perfected in us, or will we live our lives just waiting for the shoe to drop. It all will depend upon whether we are being made perfect in love, and being made perfect in love begins when we focus love not on our words and thoughts but in our deeds and actions.

Revelation 13:2-10
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Within the Church of God we sometimes find ourselves focused on obedience to this commandment and that commandment and we overlook the simplicity that was taught by Jesus, that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all of our mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, meaning it is possible to get everything correct, except for these two things and still fall short of what is expected of us. Everything written in the Bible is for our benefit so that we can have love for God and others. If we have love for others and God where our love is perfected, then we live without fear. Whatever may be part of our life and the world around us that we fear shows us we are living without perfect love.

When we live our life without perfect love, when love for each other is not present, we allow and give place for envy and hatred to enter our hearts. We give ourselves permission to be a murderer as Cain murdered Abel, and we allow ourselves to marginalize others as Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers.

If we do not have love for each other, we are deceived if we think we know the truth. If we have fear in our life, it is because we are not made perfect in love, and if we are not made perfect in love, the Bible shows that fear will keep us from the Kingdom of God. Let us endure to the end with love for each other never giving place to fear so that in the most challenging times when others seek to control us through fear, we instead may be bold having been made perfect in love.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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