Unlovable?

August 25, 2021 (Wednesday)

 

Can you believe we are near the end of August? It was only a few months ago when people were hopeful the pandemic was over. In fact, the American President declared July 4^th as independence from covid day. Yet this pandemic and the lunacy that swirls around it continues.

 

Today, I want to remind those who claim to follow Jesus an overall command that encompasses every situation and in a nutshell expresses true faith in Jesus.  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” [John 15:12 ESV]

 

I have heard it quoted that the greatest commandment is to love God, “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [Matthew 22:39 ESV] These answers were in response to the greatest commandment in the Law (Torah, first five books of the Old Testament). I think we do ourselves, others, and the world an injustice when we consider ourselves the standard. It’s a dangerous place to be…

 

Jesus never negates loving God. Nor does Jesus ever negate the need to love others. What Jesus is doing is changing the standard. Jesus continues to expand and explain exactly what He means. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” [John 15:13 ESV] Here’s the point, Jesus intended to lay His life down for you. This self-sacrifice is the standard for love.

 

If sin is wrapped up in self and selfish behavior, it makes sense that the saved would exercise sacrifice. If Jesus loved humanity more than Himself, those of us changed by that love will follow His example. Yet, what are we seeing? Heated emotions, let’s be honest about what they are called, “hatred.” Hatred is the ultimate tactic of the enemy of our souls.

 

Jesus left an encouraging word for those throughout the world and time, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” [John 15:18 ESV] If you seek to follow Jesus, if you identify with Jesus, if you are changed because of Jesus, then know this; you are hated. Don’t take it personally, the world hates Jesus, you are just guilty by association. Even warm fuzzy feelings toward “God” evaporate in the reality of this hatred, “Whoever hates me hates my Father also.” [John 15:23 ESV]

 

Jesus explained it this way, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” [John 15:19 ESV] Let’s face it, we are alien to this world. The reason we are alien is because we love in a genuine sacrificially way.

 

Big finish alert! I think loving others sacrificially is universal. We cannot pick and choose who to love. Jesus said that the Father loved the world, not just the chosen. Let me expand that idea one more level. Love is the acid test. “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” [1 John 4:20 ESV] Acid burns.

 

Next time you are tempted to repeat, inspire, or propose hate… let the truth of 1 John 4:20 challenge you to the core. If we don’t love those we rate as “unlovable” then we don’t love God.