It must be something of a punch in the gut when you realise the person saying this to you is none other than Jesus himself (Rev 2:1-7). When confronted with a verse about neglecting our first love, the most common response is probably guilt. How easy it is to feel guilty that we don’t love Jesus as we should. To which the only proper response, is “Well, of course you don’t.”

But that is not what the Lord is saying, he is not taking the church in Ephesus to task for not loving him as they should, for who could ever really do that? How, on earth, could finite people ever truly love the eternal God as they should? How could our love ever be as it should be in the face of such self-sacrificial love? What would that love even look like this side of heaven?

What Jesus says instead is not that you don’t love me as you should but that you don’t love me as you once did. Our love for the Lord, however imperfect it might have been, was brighter then than now. Now you have settled into duty instead of seeking delight. You have retreated from passion and hidden in pragmatism. Zeal has faded, joy has dimmed, fervour has cooled, and now you no longer love me as you once did.

In any relationship, to hear such words should tear at our hearts. But I’ve heard myself say to my wife and kids, “Over the years, I have grown to love you more.” But I wonder when was the last time I said it to my Saviour?

I recently came across the William Cowper hymn, “Hark, my soul! It is the Lord.” It’s a beautiful composition that has an exchange between Jesus who asks, “Do you love me?” and then Jesus goes on to say all the ways in which he has loved the sinner (us).

Mine is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above;
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death

The last verse of the hymn comes the sinner’s reply,

Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee, and adore,
Oh, for grace to love Thee more!

And that I think is OK. Our love may be weak and faint but if we love and adore we can always ask for the grace to love a little more. What seems to be less OK is to be busy with everything but love and adoration.

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Here are the full lyrics:

Hark, my soul! It is the Lord,
‘Tis thy Saviour, hear His word;
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee –
“Say, poor sinner, lov’st thou Me?

“I delivered thee when bound,
And when wounded, healed thy wound;
Sought thee wand’ring, set thee right,
Turned thy darkness into light.

“Can a woman’s tender care
Cease towards the child she bare?
Yes, she may forgetful be,
Yet will I remember thee.

“Mine is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above;
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death.

“Thou shalt see My glory soon,
When the work of grace is done,
Partner of My throne shalt be;
Say, poor sinner, lov’st thou Me?”

Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee, and adore,
Oh, for grace to love Thee more!