Lent week 4: Never knew a love like this before

Kamehameha Schools Maui P.E. Kumu Chad Kalehuawehe compares the divine joy he felt at the birth of his son with the eternal joy we can feel when we have faith in Jesus Christ, while his son Noah Kalehuawehe KSM’24 reminds us that by having that faith and confessing our sins, we may live with the Lord in heaven for eternity.

Mar. 12, 2021

Contributed by Nadine Lagaso

KS created a series of Hawaiian-focused devotionals for Lent to honor the deep Christian faith of KS founder Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The devotionals were designed to be used by students, staffers and others to celebrate the coming of Easter, so please feel free to share them.

Heluhelu Baibala
Bible reading
A e like me kā Mose kau ʻana i ka nahesa i luna ma ka wao nahele, pēlā e pono ai ke Keiki a ke kanaka e kaulia ai; i ʻole e make ka mea manaʻoʻiʻo iā ia, akā, e loaʻa iā ia ke ola mau loa. No ka mea, ua aloha nui mai ke Akua i ko ke ao nei, no laila, ua hāʻawi mai ʻo ia i kāna Keiki hiwahiwa, i ʻole e make ka mea manaʻoʻiʻo iā ia, akā, e loaʻa iā ia ke ola mau loa. ʻAʻole nō hoʻi i hoʻouna mai ke Akua i kāna Keiki i ke ao nei, i hoʻohewa ai ʻo ia i ko ke ao nei; akā, i ola ai ko ke ao nei ma ona lā. ʻO ka mea manaʻoʻiʻo iā ia, ʻaʻole ia e hoʻāhewa ʻia; akā, ʻo ka mea manaʻoʻiʻo ʻole, ua hoʻāhewa ʻia ʻo ia ʻānō, i kona manaʻoʻiʻo ʻole i ka inoa o ke Keiki hiwahiwa a ke Akua. Eia ka mea i hoʻāhewa ʻia ai; ua hiki mai ka mālamalama i ke ao nei, akā, ua makemake nā kānaka i ka pouli, ʻaʻole i ka mālamalama, no ka mea, ua hewa nā hana ʻana a lākou. ʻO ka mea e hana ana i nā mea ʻino, ʻo ia ke hoʻowahāwahā i ka mālamalama, ʻaʻole hoʻi ia e hele mai i ka mālamalama, o ʻikea auaneʻi kāna hana ʻana. Akā, ʻo ka mea e hana ana ma ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, ʻo ia ke hele mai i ka mālamalama, i akāka ai kāna hana ʻana, ua hana ʻia ma kā ke Akua. – Ioane 3:14-21

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.”
– John 3:14-21

He manaʻo o ka limahana
Physical Education Kumu Chad Kalehuawehe
On March 9, 2006, my son was born and took his first breath. He let out a high-pitched cry that seconds later made me cry. These tears were not of sadness but just the opposite – tears of unbelievable joy! I thought I knew love, but God showed me what true love felt like when He made me a father. God gave me and my wife a gift and I can truly say that I never knew a love like this before.

This is the kind of love our Lord Jesus Christ has for us according to the passage from John 3:14-21 which speaks not only of this unbelievable love, but also of the truth of who Christ is and how you can have life eternal through your faith in Him. Just think, HE wants US to be with Him…in heaven…forever. Isn’t that a crazy thought? The passage says that we need to choose Him although He’s already chosen us. It says we will all be judged or condemned one day and if we do not believe in Christ Jesus that won’t happen.

In my life I’ve experienced happiness when I won basketball games, canoe races and even board games that lasted longer than I wanted. It felt great to win but those feelings eventually fade. I want to ultimately go to that place where happiness cannot be given a number because its indescribable. A place where I felt like I did when my son was born. I don’t deserve to go to heaven, but God wants me there.

God loves us so much he gave his only son. He sent Him to save us. All you need to do is believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus. You can have eternal life. Isn’t that awesome news?

He manaʻo o ka haumana
Noah Kalehuawehe KSM‘24
Sinning is an action all humans do, I myself sin. It just shows that we are not perfect, only God is. He is aware of all the sinful deeds we have committed. In this passage He said that the people who sin usually fear Him because they are scared that their deeds will be exposed. But if you confess all your sins to God by repenting, He will forgive you.

God truly cares about us so much. He is willing to put all of our past sins behind to forgive us, that we may spend the rest of our lives with Him. Although Jesus didn’t do anything wrong, He suffered a painful death to atone for OUR sins only to come back to life. Jesus has paid for our sins so that we may live with Him in heaven. All we have to do is have faith in Him.