January 30, 2014 Matthew 5:43-47 In this section of his sermon Jesus gets really pointed about how important relationships are to his Father. And he declares that Fathers love for every person is radical, eternal and unconditional. In our world love is ‘naturally’ conditional. We value loving others - but only if they deserve it, or at least respond positively to our love. We don’t see any reason to love our enemies - those who oppose us or actually act in ways to harm or hurt us. It just isn’t ‘reasonable’ to do so. And the truth is, we give more love to those who return it than to those who don’t. Even if we manage to love the undeserving for a while, it has limits both in quantity and quality. Father’s love isn’t like that. Jesus says the way Father acts toward people demonstrates his kind of love for them. He shows his love in practical ways - gives just as much rain for crops to the undeserving as to the deserving. His love for those who oppose and ignore him is not a ‘stand off and wait and see’ but a love that treats them as if they were already good friends. And his love is not given in degrees. He loves the enemy just as lavishly and just a actively as the friend. God’s love is given based on what the relationship could be. An enemy is loved as a friend because the person might some day become a friend. Those who act badly (unrighteous) are loved as if they were very good friends because some day they may become good. He loves those who don’t love him, because some day they may love him. And he does it forever (Romans 8:38-39). Once again Jesus reminds us that ‘it’s all about relationships.’ There is nothing Father values more than that. He is willing to overlook everything in order to keep the door open to a relationship with everyone. This is very good news. The Father will love us no matter what we do, or say, or believe, or how we respond to him. We are loved. Unconditionally. Eternally. If we love him we are loved. If we hate him, we are loved. If we do things that harm and hurt his kingdom, we are loved. If we sin, we are loved. If we turn our backs on him, we are loved. There is nothing we can do that will make him stop loving us, or make him love us less. Let’s think about that today.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:43:25 +0000