Wakristo wote wanafahamu maneno ya kumalizia yaliyotumiwa na Mtume Paulo katika 1 Wakorintho 13 kufuatia uchanganuzi wake wa Upendo uliovuviwa: “Na sasa inadumu imani, tumaini, upendo, haya matatu; lakini lililo kuu katika hayo ni upendo.” Katika Sura ya 12 Paulo alikuwa amezungumzia uhusiano wa karama za kiroho na Upendo kwa kumalizia sura kwa maneno haya: “...tamanini sana karama zilizo kuu zaidi nami nitawaonyesha njia iliyo bora zaidi.” Njia hii bora zaidi ni matembezi ya upendo.

Matembezi haya ya upendo yana umuhimu gani? Tunapata jibu katika 1 Wakorintho 13:1-3 : “Nijaposema kwa lugha za wanadamu na za malaika, kama sina upendo, mimi ni shaba iliayo na upatu uvumao; Nijapokuwa na kipawa cha unabii, na kufahamu siri zote na maarifa yote, nikiwa na imani ya kuhamisha milima, kama sina upendo, mimi si kitu. Nikitoa mali zangu zote kuwapa maskini, na kuutoa mwili wangu niungue moto, kama sina upendo, hainifaidii kitu.”

Yesu, alipoulizwa ni amri gani iliyo kuu zaidi, alijibu, “Mpende Bwana Mungu wako kwa moyo wako wote na kwa roho yako yote na kwa akili yako yote. Hii ndiyo amri kuu na ya kwanza. Na ya pili inafanana nayo, nayo ni hii, Mpende jirani yako kama nafsi yako” (Mathayo 22:37-39).

Upendo unaozungumzwa katika maandiko haya yote sio upendo ambao ulimwengu unaujua. Ni upendo wa kiroho wenye msingi wa Mungu unaotoka juu. Kuna maneno mawili maarufu yanayotumika kwa ajili ya upendo katika Kigiriki cha awali. Mmoja ni philio na mwingine ni agape. Philio ni upendo ambao ni mdogo kuliko agape. Philio inawakilisha upendo na wasiwasi unaohamasisha hatua kuelekea wengine kwa matarajio ya kutambuliwa. Agape itakuwa yote hayo lakini mengi zaidi. Ni upendo usio na ubinafsi kabisa na wa kujidhabihu. Hakuna mfano bora wa upendo huu kuliko ule tunaouona katika Bwana Yesu Kristo ambaye alitoa maisha yake kama dhabihu ya kuwakomboa watu wote kutoka kwa adhabu ya dhambi na kifo. Wale walio na agape vivyo hivyo wako tayari kumega mkate na kumwaga divai kwa ajili ya wengine.

Agape daima inapita nje. Haina masharti na haitarajii malipo yoyote kwa sababu ustawi wa wengine ndio jambo lake kuu. Ni ngeni kabisa kwa asili ya mwanadamu na kwa hivyo haieleweki au kutekelezwa na mwanadamu wa asili. Ni pale tu Roho Mtakatifu wa Mungu anapokaa ndani ya moyo wa Mkristo aliyezaliwa mara ya pili ndipo upendo wa namna hiyo unakuwa ndani ya mtu. Wale waliojawa na upendo wa agape kutoka juu wanachochewa kufanya kama Yesu angefanya na wako tayari sikuzote kulipa gharama ya kufanya mapenzi ya Baba kama Yesu alivyofanya. Nia ya Mungu ya kumtuma Bwana Yesu Kristo kuwa Mwokozi wa wanadamu ilikuwa upendo wa agape. Maneno ya Yohana 3:16, 17 yanaonyesha jambo hili hasa: “Kwa maana jinsi hii Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu hata akamtoa Mwanawe pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele. Kwa maana Mungu hakumtuma Mwana ulimwenguni ili auhukumu ulimwengu, bali ulimwengu uokolewe katika yeye.” Upendo wa Mungu ulitiririka, ukitupa Wokovu, kwa gharama kubwa kwake na kwa Mwanawe Mpendwa.

Upendo huo wa Kikristo hujionyesha kwa kujali hali njema ya hata adui. Wakati Stefano alipokuwa akipigwa kwa mawe yaliyorushwa kwake na umati wenye ghadhabu, hangaiko lake halikuwa kwa ajili yake mwenyewe bali kwa wale waliokuwa katika mchakato wa kitendo hiki kiovu. Fikiria kielelezo chake cha upendo wa agape kama kimeandikwa katika Matendo 7:59, 60 : “Walipokuwa wakimpiga kwa mawe, Stefano aliomba, akisema, Bwana Yesu, pokea roho yangu. Kisha akapiga magoti na kulia, 'Bwana, usiwahesabie dhambi hii.' Alipokwisha kusema hayo, alilala usingizi.” Hakuna chuki, hakuna ubaya, kuhangaikia tu hali yao ya kiroho! Ni Mkristo aliyekomaa kikamilifu tu, aliyejazwa na Roho Mtakatifu na upendo wa agape, ndiye anayeweza kusema sala kama hiyo.

Upendo huu unaofanana na wa Mungu ni kweli kumruhusu Bwana kufanya kazi katika maisha yetu. Tunapata upendo unaoelezewa kwa uzuri katika 1 Kor. 13:44-8 : “Upendo huvumilia, upendo ni wenye fadhili. Haina wivu, haijisifu, haina kiburi. Haina adabu, haina kujitafutia, haina hasira, haina kumbukumbu ya makosa. Upendo haufurahii ubaya bali hufurahi pamoja na ukweli. Daima hulinda, daima hutumaini, daima hutumaini, daima huvumilia. Upendo haushindwi kamwe.”

Mwanadamu wa asili anaposoma orodha hii, anafikiri hili haliwezekani kufikiwa, kwa maana anapojaribu kuishi kwa mambo haya, anajikuta akipungukiwa kwa huzuni na hatimaye kukata tamaa. Lakini huu sio upendo ambao tunaweza kuutumia peke yetu! Tunapaswa kukumbuka kile Paulo anasema katika Flp. 1:6: “Nikiwa na hakika ya hili, ya kwamba Yeye aliyeanza kazi njema ndani yenu ataiendeleza hata kuimaliza hata siku ya Kristo Yesu.” Ikiwa hujamruhusu Mungu kuanza kazi Yake ndani yako, fanya uamuzi wa kufanya hivyo leo, na atakubadilisha kabisa kuwa mfano wa Mwanawe.

All Christians are familiar with the closing words used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 following his inspired analysis of Love: “And now abides faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” In Chapter 12 Paul had discussed the relationship of spiritual gifts to Love by closing the chapter with these words: “... eagerly desire the greater gifts and I will show you a more excellent way.” This more excellent way is the walk of love.

How important is this walk of love? We find the answer in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Jesus, when asked what was the greatest commandment, answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

The love that is spoken of in all these texts is not what the world knows as love. It is a God-based spiritual love that comes from above. There are two prominent words used for love in the original Greek. One is philio and the other is agape. Philio is a love that is less than agape. Philio represents the affection and concern that motivates action towards others with expectation of recognition. Agape would be all that but much more. It is a love that is totally selfless and self-sacrificing. There is no better example of this love than what we see in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave His life as a sacrifice to redeem all men from the penalty of sin and death. Those who possess agape likewise are willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for others.

Agape always flows outward. It is unconditional and expects nothing in return because the welfare of others is its primary concern. It is totally foreign to human nature and therefore not understood or exercised by the natural man. It is only when God’s Holy Spirit indwells a born-again Christian’s heart that such a love exists within a person. Those filled with agape love from above are motivated to do as Jesus would do and are always willing to pay the cost of doing the Father’s will as did Jesus. God’s motive for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Savior of mankind was agape love. The words of John 3:16, 17 make this very point: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” God’s love flowed out, offering us Salvation, at great cost to Himself and His Beloved Son.

Such Christian love expresses itself in concern for the welfare of even an enemy. When Stephen was being battered with rocks thrown at him by the furious mob, his concern was not for himself but for those who were in the process of this evil act. Consider his example of agape love as recorded in Acts 7:59, 60: “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.” No hatred, no malice, just concern for their spiritual welfare! Only a fully mature Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit and agape love, can utter such a prayer.

This God-like Love is really our allowing the Lord to work in our lives. We find love beautifully described in 1 Cor. 13: 44-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, it always perseveres. Love never fails.”

When the natural man reads this list, he thinks this is impossible to attain unto, for when he tries to live out these things, he finds himself woefully lacking and eventually gives up. But this is not a love we can exercise on our own! We need to remember what Paul says in Phil. 1:6: “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.” If you haven’t allowed God to begin His work in you, make the choice to do so today, and He will totally change you into the image of His Son.