by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton
A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35
This is a Command-ment. And it covers 6 of the big 10. If you love one another you will not kill each other, cheat on each other, steal from each other, lie about each other, envy what each other has, and of course you will honor the parents that you love.
And this is not the temporary warm fuzzy kind of love. This is the love of Christ, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” No ifs, ands or maybes about it, we must love one another in the same way that Jesus loved us. This is discipleship, this is what a disciple of Jesus does. He loves people, he cares about their circumstances here on earth and he cares about their eternal condition.
How then did Jesus love us? What is it that we are to imitate? First of all Jesus left paradise to walk among us. He left the wealth of heaven to walk among the poor of the earth. Why? Why would he leave paradise to come to earth? What was so important that He gave up everything?
Jesus answered this very question so that we do not have to wonder: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10
So the answer is US. He left paradise because we were more important to Him than everything else that He had.
As a Christian it helps if you begin to view everything that you have as a gift from God to be used for the purposes of God. If it all belongs to God then we have lost nothing in giving it all away. God – more and self – less.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples. “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again. “Children how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God: all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:21-27
If God has blessed you with much it is hard to give it up, but this is exactly what Jesus did, He gave up paradise in heaven and His life on earth – for us. And now He sits at the right hand of God.
Self – less does not mean self – none. God cares about your self. Your self is precious to Him. He died rather than live without you. And He lives so that you will never die. But God loves everybody, and He doesn’t play favorites. Having accepted this free gift we are obligated to pass it on to others. It is not a treasure to be hoarded, or a lamp to hide under a basket. And God Himself makes our selflessness possible.
To be a disciple of Jesus you must first of all love God.
Love God and you will obey Him.
Obey Him and you will love others.
Love others and you will not kill, cheat, lie, steal, harm, hate or envy them.
Love others and you will go where they are, in the muck and the mire, and offer to share what you have been given: Salvation, being bought back out of the muck and the mire.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32
Like most things of the Spirit this seems backwards to the world, but it is nonetheless true. The more you give away the more you have. Love grows in the giving. So does money, so does time.
Simple. Really simple.
But…
Simple – Ain’t – Easy
Still worth it though
Wendy
No comments:
Post a Comment