“Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

We might say, greet one another with a warm handshake. It is not our custom to greet each other with a kiss like we see in the movies. Where they kiss each other on both cheeks. Often it is done out of obligation. But Peter wants us to extend a warm and welcoming greeting to everyone. We should show the same greeting to the president as you do to the homeless person as you would want to be greeted. 

“My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

‭‭James‬ ‭2:1-4‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/jas.2.1-4.hcsb

When I thought of a kiss of love I thought of Judas. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss so that those whom he brought with him would know who Jesus was. This is the exact opposite of a kiss of love. Peter has this in mind. He remembers that night in the garden. It was the same night He could not stay awake. He cut off the ear of the palace guard. He denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. He remembers the harsh trial Jesus faced. I would say, Peter really meant to greet each other with as much love you as you get from Jesus. Jesus had compassion for Peter to let him sleep after rebuking him once. Jesus healed the palace guard’s ear. He said nothing in retaliation to His hash trial. He forgave and reinstated Peter after he denied Jesus those three times. What a kiss of love Peter got on that night and the preceding weeks. 

How about us? Are we warm and welcoming to those believers around us? Are we willing to rebuke when we see a brother or sister in sin? Will we continue to love them to see them out of their sin. Are we going out of our way to heal the broken relationships because of a miss understand that was heard? Are we willing to love those who have hurt us? If Jesus is our example in The Christian life then I think that all these things should be evident in our life as well.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.13.34-35.hcsb

Remember, how much harder Jesus made life in Matthew 5 at the end of the chapter he says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:48‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.5.48.hcsb  

How can we be perfect? We love each and every person as God has loved us! With Golden Rule as our motivation, we Love one another with the Platinum Rule. The Golden rule says to treat everyone as you would want to be treated. The Platinum Rule says to Love one another as Jesus has loved us. When we do this we can be perfect, holy, and complete as God is perfect, holy and complete!