The love of Christ, and more on Caesarea Philippi are topics, today. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “Monday” (Level 1 with 95 points, a member since October 22, 2012) posted the following:
What is love in Christ all about?
THE BATTLE AXE: Caesarea Philippi (10/22/2012)—The Jews of Caesarea were “lost” as children of GOD, because many were Hellenized, and assimilated themselves adopting the fashions and mannerisms of the Greeks, who had dominated that region. When Jesus began to establish his kingdom in the earth, Caesarea was an important seat of Roman government. Some encyclopedias identify the region as having been an early center for worship of the demi-god Pan. Later, Herod the Great erected a white marble temple there in honor of his patron (c. 20 BC). The Roman Emperor Vespasian, during the First Jewish–Roman War is reported as having rested his troops at Caesarea Philippi in July 67 AD. At that time, games were held there over a period of 20 days before the Romans advanced on Tiberias to crush the Jewish resistance in Galilee. In 361 AD, the Byzantine Emperor of the Roman Empire, Julian the Apostate, instigated a religious reformation whereby Julian supported the restoration of Hellenic paganism as the state religion in order to reestablish the former grandeur, and strength of the Empire. Supposedly, Julian commanded that all Christian symbols be removed, including a statue of Christ that had been erected by a woman whom Jesus miraculously healed from an issue of blood. A statue of Julian was to be put in its place. However, a violent fire fell from heaven that removed the head and neck of the statue; and it was allowed to remain standing in that condition.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mark 12: 28-33, King James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Justice Comes by Love? (10/01/2012); A Daily Revelation? (10/02/2012); Wrong To Love? (08/17/2012); The Young Less Religious (08/18/2012); Jealous, Not Crazy (08/10/2012); Unconditional Love (03/28/2012); On Properly Setting Our Sights (03/29/2012); Girdle 28: Grounded in Love (12/13/2011)
There are many important answers to your question. Here are some that have been shared with me:
Almighty GOD appeared to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ, as if an ordinary human being, in order to bridge the huge gap in communication and understanding that otherwise exists between created beings and their Creator. In human form, GOD demonstrated a love to mankind that centered in (1) the fulfillment of covenants, proclamations, promises, and prophecies; (2) clarification of the divine law as a display of sacred person; (3) personal sacrifice and the putting aside of self-will to carry out divine will (i.e., obedience) as well as sharing an inheritance of eternal life, and faith.
Love as shown in Christ is more than simply an array of emotions and feelings such as affection, attraction, concern, pity, and sexual desire. Rightly understood, love is a sacred purpose, and a spirit substance that is part of the makeup of divinity. Love is therefore inseparable from such other sacred content as being, faith, holiness, joy, truth, wisdom and wrath against sin. (Where you find one, all the others appear also.)
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, the endowment of love deposited within mankind becomes defiled and diminished through sin, an influence upon the will of created beings and living creatures that opposes our continued existence. Through the life, death, resurrection, and ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ, mankind may be “born again” and receive a fresh deposit of will that properly recognizes and resists sin. As new creatures carrying the divine nature, men and women achieve relationships founded upon unselfishness.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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