Feasting at The Table - Does Love Hurt?

 Love, at its core, is beautiful, selfless, and transformative, but it often comes with pain. 

Exploring whether “love hurts” reveals deeper truths about the sacrificial and enduring nature of love, as seen through most importantly Jesus’ life, but also in romantic relationships and platonic bonds.

1. Jesus’ Sacrificial Love

In His humanness, Jesus experienced immense physical and emotional pain out of love for you and me.  His suffering on the cross is a profound example of love’s cost:

   •   Physical Pain: Isaiah 53:5 KJV - “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” The crucifixion represents the ultimate sacrifice, where love bore the weight of humanity’s sin.

   •   Emotional Pain: Jesus wept over Jerusalem, lamenting their unwillingness to accept His love Luke 19:41 - “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it”. This sorrow illustrates the heartbreak of a love not returned or reciprocated. Jesus’ sacrifice teaches us that true love often requires self-denial and endurance, even in the face of suffering.

2. Love in Romantic Relationships

Romantic love often mirrors Christ’s sacrificial love but can involve deep emotional challenges:

   •   Pain in Sacrifice: In healthy marriages or relationships, partners are called to sacrifice for one another. Ephesians 5:25 exhorts husbands, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” This sacrificial love can sometimes mean enduring hardships or forgiving offenses.

   •   Heartbreak: The pain of love can also arise from betrayal or loss. Even in sorrow, love seeks to restore or heal. Romans 12:10 encourages believers to “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”

3. Love in Platonic Relationships

Platonic love, too, is marked by moments of heartache:

   •   Friendship and Betrayal: Jesus experienced the pain of Judas’ betrayal, someone He called friend. Matthew 26:50 - “And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” True love doesn’t eliminate the possibility of betrayal but responds with grace.

   •   Bearing One Another’s Burdens: Galatians 6:2 - “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Supporting friends through their trials can be emotionally draining but deeply meaningful.

4. The Beauty of Love Despite the Pain

Though love may hurt, it ultimately brings beauty and transformation:

   •   Christ’s Love Brings Redemption: Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Through Jesus’ pain, humanity was given eternal life. His love transcended suffering to offer reconciliation with God. 

   •   Healing Relationships: Both romantic and platonic relationships can grow stronger through trials, leading to greater understanding and compassion. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

   •   Love’s Enduring Nature: “Love never fails” 1 Corinthians 13:8. While it may involve pain, love’s essence is eternal and pure, reflecting God’s character. Song of Solomon 8:7  says “Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can the floods drown it: If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.”

Family, love, though it sometimes hurts, is a powerful and redemptive force. Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice demonstrates that pain and love often coexist, but the reward is greater than the cost. 

In romantic and platonic relationships, love’s beauty lies in its ability to persevere, heal, and transform. 

The challenge for us today is to strive to love like Christ, embracing the joy and the cost, knowing it leads to eternal and meaningful connections.

aub - 11Dec24

www.zjoyvi.com