Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Summary: Peter uses one of about seven Greek words that can be translated as ‘’love.” The one he used means selfless love. The kind that Jesus shows to us.
When Peter writes, “Greet one another with a kiss of love,” he is not instituting a new command. Instead, he refers to what is a common practice in his day. What I understand him to mean is that Christians should greet each other with love rather than “a kiss of obligation” or something similar. But what kind of “love” is Peter referring to? This is where the English language leaves us wondering if everyone understands this the same way.
Turning to the original text, the Greek word that Peter used is agápē. Agápē is that wonderfully selfless form of love that God shows us every day. It is the sacrificial love of Christ. (John 3:16)
Well, that’s nice. We don’t usually greet each other with a kiss these days, although some do. But Peter doesn’t mean for us to do that if we don’t usually do that, right? He is not saying that I have to kiss everyone at church instead of just saying, “Hi,” is he?
It may be that the way we apply Peter’s words today is the same but different. Even if we use different forms of greeting today, we still impart an attitude when we greet. If I say, “hello,” I can say it with a smile or with a scowl. If we shake hands, it can be a friendly handshake or a reluctant one.
Let’s take the “kiss” part out and look at Peter’s last instruction to believers again:
“Greet one another with … godly, selfless, agápē style love.”
Put aside petty grievances, stop worrying about things for a moment, and share the love of Christ with each other when we meet. What a way to live!
Application: Greet your fellow believers as if you were saying hello to Jesus.
Food for Thought: What does how we greet someone say about what we think of them?
Good morning Jeff
Good morning, Tim!
(Nice greeting!)
Thank you!! 🙂
Nice reply.
Thank you for the reminder that even apparent little things can actually be rather important. Greetings are important in the biblical lives and our greeting can potentially change someone’s day.
How does Jesus instruct us to greet non-believers?
Hi Danny,
Every non-believer is a potential believer. Thank God for the opportunity, find common ground and enjoy their company without compromising your walk with the Lord.
Mark 2:17, “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Ron
Ron,
Thank you for answering Danny’s question! 🙂
Danny,
The first thing that comes to mind is Matthew 22:37-40. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus doesn’t stipulate that we only love believers. In Luke 10: 25-37 Jesus expands on the idea to emphasize our need to love those who are different from ourselves. Theologically the Samaritans and Jews were pretty far apart.
As Ron points out, every person we meet is a potential believer if they are not already one. 🙂
What does how we greet someone say about what we think of them?
One day, I got a wild idea and opened up a Christian restaurant as a way to minister and occupy myself and my daughter. We had a great dependable cook which gave us great food. Our music and decorations were christian and we attracted families as well as church groups for various occasions. One gentleman, a regular “Mel” would spend a couple hours eating his breakfast. He was a lonely man and we had a number of deep conversations.
He said to me one day, “you are a strange man”. I asked him why would he say that? He said to me, “you hug the men and shake hands with the women who come in here.” He was right, I enjoy a bear hug and slap on the back with a brother, and am comfortable greeting sisters with a handshake and a smile. An exception is my wife’s best friend who insists on a hug.
Our greeting to others should be appropriate, say something about our opinion regarding them. Set the tone for all that will follow. Do we smile, do we look them in the eye, do we ask about their well being, are we genuinely interested in this person? Jesus is, we are not here to serve ourselves, we are here to serve and glorify God. Be alert, there is purpose in every contact we make. It may simply be an opportunity to maintain or strengthen our relationship, or it may be an opportunity to serve. Don’t over analyze, simply be approachable. Be sensitive toward the person we are meeting. Be ready to really listen when they actually begin unpacking a problem they are having?
Ron,
I learn something new about you all the time! I like your advice about being ready to listen. There is an amazing power in listening to others. Sometimes the willingness to listen is the power to heal.
Thank you for sharing!
Jeff,
You listen very well yourself!
Blessings,
Ron
I have heard the saying,..if looks could kill,…this discussion defines the meaning for me,..thanks guys,..I wonder if Jesus had any of those kind of looks though,..what was the expression on His face when He entered the temple before He took a whip and cleaned His house? What a way to greet people,..there must have been a lot of looks that day,..that was the day that sparked a lot of peoples nerves,..talk about a holy kiss,..certainly a grand greeting,..
To be honest when I greet people,..it takes a bit for Jesus to show up,..even though He is right there,..it’s like I am on guard or something,..waiting for the right moment to seize the opportunity. Here lately with Covid there is no kissing, elbow bumps at best,..no hugs allowed,..maintain that safe six foot distance and everything will be just fine,..how about if I blow a kiss from behind the mask,..you can see that I love you right?
Jesus took the mask off of the grave to show us how much He loves us,..and then kisses us with eternity,..talk about a Holy Kiss,..
John,
You truly have the heart of a poet! Thank you for sharing! I am right there with you when you say sometimes it “takes a bit for Jesus to show up.”
About Jesus, keep in mind we had two discussions going on here and you just added a third. The first was Peter’s “greet one another.” In this case he is talking about greeting believers. Then Danny asked about greeting people who are not believers. Now you have added the question of Jesus in the temple.
In this third scenario Jesus is not among believers. Quite the opposite. He is among those who are profaning his Father’s house. The face the merchants saw that day was not just some person who was going a little bit crazy, it was the face of their God. Unless they repented, that is likely the face they will see on judgment day.
This is something people seem to struggle with a bit. It is tempting to want to emulate Jesus as he goes after the Pharisees and teachers of the law. The thing is, Jesus has the authority and knowledge to judge their actions and their thoughts. No other human has that advantage. We come to the table as equals but Jesus comes as king and judge.
Thanks Jeff,..as you can tell sometimes I get side tracked and just start writing,..
Don’t ever stop, John! I love it! 🙂
Danny, one good verse to add to the discussion is Colossians 4: 5 – 6.