Gary Webster: Tevet - What the World Needs Now [2025/5785]
Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Gary Webster.
Greetings from the Jerusalem, the true eternal city. We are on the cusp of a new month on the Jewish calendar, Tevet, and a new year on the Gregorian calendar, 2025. So, I said to myself, “What does the world need now?” it is NOT more anger. It is NOT more hate. It is NOT more violence.
The world needs more love. Unfortunately for us English speakers, the word love has many different meanings. I love my wife is not the same as I love my job. I love my job is not the same as I love that burger. For those of us who are disciples of Jesus(Yeshua), we are not limited to one word for love.
The Greek language in which the New Testament was written has three different words for love Eros, Phileo and Agapao. The word Eros is a sensual and physical love. This word does not appear in the New Testament. Phileo is the love one has for a friend or relative. This word appears about twenty-five times in the New Testament. Agapao is a self-sacrificing love which appears over one hundred times in the New Testament.
First Corinthians chapter thirteen, describes the characteristics of this type of love. This is the kind of love our world needs. Let’s dig into the chapter.
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes what happens when love (agape) is not the motivation for our actions. In today’s believing world there are many who are eloquent speakers. They are either pastors or evangelists. The goal of their words should be to edify their listening audience. It should not be to focus on their giftedness. If the one who is speaking is doing it without love as their motivation, then is only noise not music coming forth.
There are others who have been gifted by God to heal and do miracles. They have great faith. If their motivation is for fame and gain and not love, they are accounted as nothing in God’s eyes.
Relieving the poor of their hunger is worthy endeavor. There are many philanthropists in the world. Are they motivated to give by their love(agape)? We read of many who are willing to become martyrs. If is isn’t motivated by love (agape), then it was a worthless sacrifice.
What are the qualities of agape love?
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…
First, agape love is patient. The Greek word for patience means having the capacity to be wronged and not retaliate.
Love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful. It is not arrogant (I know it all, I don’t need your help) or rude ( no need to say please or thank you or excuse me).
Love(agape) is not irritable or resentful (Not easily irritated).
Love(agape) does not rejoice at wrong( the Corinthians did not see anything wrong with the man having sex with his father’s wife), love rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things( puts up with a lot), believes all things( things that are true of course), hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends( it is eternal).
How many of us can say that we have these qualities? I don’t! This is a superhuman love. This is a supernatural love. Only those that are filled with God’s Holy Spirit can ever hope to exhibit these qualities. As followers of Yeshua, we are commanded to bear the light but also to share his agape love. If you messed up in the love department last year you don’t have to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Philippians 3:13,14 declares:
“Brothers (sisters), I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Yeshua HaMoshiach.”
Will you make love(agape) your aim in 2025? It is what the world needs.
Rosh Chodesh Sameach!