Real Love

Romans 12:9  Let love be without dissimulation…

Have you ever been treated by someone in a way that you could tell that they really weren’t like? Have you ever felt that someone was only acting nice to you in order to use you or to obtain something from you?

Today, let’s start by defining two important words: what dissimulation means and what it means to be disingenuous.

Dissimulation is defined as the act of concealing the truth; hypocrisy or deception. To hide one’s feelings or intentions.

To be disingenuous means fake or deceptive; not frank or open.

Probably one of the most prominent examples in the Bible of this is Judas. Picked to be one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, Judas tried to act as though he loved the Lord. He tried to appear to others like he cared for others, but we all know what happened with Judas. In John 12, Mary Magdalene washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. She also anointed His feet with an expensive ointment, and it was this act that caused Judas to begin to reveal his true intentions.

John 12:4-6  “Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”

We see where Judas’ true love was. It was not for the poor; he didn’t care about the poor. He clearly didn’t love Jesus, as we will read in just a moment. His love was for the thing that is the root of all evil-money. He may have tried to pretend to others that he really did care about helping poor people, but he didn’t.

It was the same thing that caused Judas to betray the Lord. Once again, his love was greater for 30 pieces of silver than Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 26:47-50  “And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.”

Look at how full of deceit and disingenuous Judas was. He even went up to Jesus to give Him a kiss, a sign of love and affection. But this was not what was in his heart. His love for money was far greater. He didn’t love the poor and he didn’t love Jesus, or else he would have never done the things that he did.

The Pharisees, as well, were filled up with this fake, hypocritical affection for Christ.

Matthew 22:15-21  “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

Look at how they acted like they really cared about what Jesus was teaching. “We know that thou art true.” “You teach the way of God.” Right. If they really believed that then they would never have crucified Him. Their “love” for Him was truly filled with dissimulation.

Our love for others can never be like that. It needs to be pure, and true. It needs to be real, not fake. Our love needs to be that of Epaphroditus’ towards Paul. He loved Paul so much that he didn’t even regard his own life as he became very ill while serving Paul tirelessly.

Philippians 2:25-30  “Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.”

Be filled with real love!

In Christ,

Andrew

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