Agape

Jesus’ Golden Rule was to love God and love your neighbour as yourself. The word for love in Aramaic, Jesus’ language, was ‘agape’, which was translated to Greek and then to English in our bibles. The problem is that the word ‘agape’ is diluted in English and is used flippantly; You can love your Dad and love chocolate or footy. We can’t look ‘agape’ up in a dictionary to understand it. Rather, we need to look to the teachings of Jesus. 

Love God and love your neighbour as yourself. These are two sides of the same coin, they are inseparable. Your love for God is expressed in your love for people. Agape love is not a feeling you have for someone else or something that happens to you, “I fell in love.” As Fr Rob Galea points out, “Feelings come and feelings go, but agape love is from God and is infinite; it stays forever and is infinitely more precious than feelings.”

Love is action. It is a choice to seek the wellbeing of people other than yourself. St Thomas Aquinas said, “To love is to will the good of the other.” Jesus was constantly helping and serving people around him in tangible and consistent ways. Serving others without expecting anything in return reflects the heart of God. Authentic love includes how well you treat your enemies. 

Jesus died for his enemies, despite their selfishness and corruption, because he loved them.

It was the power of God’s love for His people that was made manifest in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Receive the love of Jesus and give it back out in other-focussed, self-giving love. There you will find agape.

Adapted from The Bible Project.