It’s always fascinating listening to people talk of their
lives, as it doesn’t take long to hear of their passions and the things they
value most. In my experience, relationships, especially family, are often the
highest ranking. I’ve learnt that typically the older we grow the more precious
family become, and rightly so. Sooner or later, out come the photos of family
and people we love most, which is great.
In reading the New Testament
gospels, it’s obvious Jesus had relationships which were more
distinguished than others. The apostle John held a favoured place in Jesus’
heart (John 21:20, 24), as did the family siblings of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
(John 11:1, 5). Then there was the unique, yet strong relationship Jesus had
with rambunctious Peter (John 21:15-17). When asked which commandment is the
greatest, Jesus replied in Matthew 22:37-39, You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind. And second, You
shall love your neighbour as yourself.
Love and boasting of those we love most go hand in hand as the
human heart instinctively promotes those
who have captivated our strongest affections. And so it is in the Christian
life. While we rightly assign strong love and devotion to spouses, children,
and grandchildren etc, there is One who captivates the highest position in our
hearts, and that is God, through His son Jesus Christ. The point is this, as
believers it is appropriate to have and speak of the love hierarchy in our
relational affections, with the Lord holding the highest place.
When Paul writes in Galatians 6:14, far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the
world, he is not discarding human relationships. Rather, he has
allowed love to determine the priority order of all relationships, with Jesus
Christ at the top. Even within Paul’s correctly layered affections, he
acknowledged the self-sacrificing love of Jesus on the cross as being central
to all of life. With Christ as his greatest love, Paul could prioritise all
other relationships appropriately for God’s glory and for the benefit of people
in his life.
While Paul had many valued friends who had invested in his
life, none could compare with the eternal blessings purchased by Jesus on the
cross. Therefore, Paul did not hesitate to boast first and foremost of Jesus
Christ. In this context, Paul was dead to worldly attractions and affections
being able to captivate his strongest affections.
We see this Christ-centred love with priority when Paul
wrote Philippians 1:3-8. I thank my God every
time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of
you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and
confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
May we emulate Jesus’ and Paul’s ordered priorities of love,
so others may experience Jesus through us more and more, for the glory of God
and the blessing of others.
