Day 13
"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)
Real love.
Christ-like love. It must not come must not come naturally. Otherwise, why
would Jesus have to make it a command? He must have thought that somehow,
someway, believers have the ability through the Holy Spirit to live a life of
genuine love. Yet not only do we have the ability, we also have the
responsibility. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that self-sacrificial love is the
way that the world will know we are children of God. Notice that Christ did not
say: "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you know
many verses and have your theology solid..." or " by this all men
will know that you are my disciples, if you attend church, speak in tongues,
and avoid all sin..." He simplified it for us- love one another.
So how do we
show this love? I believe it is expressed through our unconditional acceptance
of people regardless of race, creed or color. Whether that person is kind to
you, or treats you like dirt. Whether you agree with their lifestyle, or stand
against it. All of these things are quite irrelevant when it comes to obeying
God and loving others. If you set up any pre-requisites for loving others, then
you are disobedient to Christ and ineffective in your witness.
Let's look at
how this principle played itself out in the life of Jesus. In John 4 we find
Him in a tense situation; He is a Jew, living in a land occupied by Romans. The
Romans do not particularly like the Jews, and the Jews return their sentiment.
Yet, when Jesus is asked to heal a Roman official's son, He does so immediately
— no strings attached, no power plays, no political games.
Jesus does not
hold grudges, nor does he require obedience before demonstrating love. He cares
for people regardless of their personality, position, or possessions.
In Luke 9:51-56,
Jesus and His disciples were walking through Samaria. Jesus was trying to teach
a group of people who were rude and unresponsive. Ever met anybody like that?
What is your typical reaction? His disciples' reaction was to ask Jesus:
"Do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy them?"
Jesus basically replies, "No way! Are you demon possessed?"
Evidently in
Jesus' mind, anger, revenge, prejudice, and unloving attitudes are unacceptable
and sometimes demonic.
I know that as
Christians we are called to hold each other accountable. Yet we should not use
accountability as an excuse to harbor hatred or indifference. As well, we
should not expect those who do not know Christ to live as we do. Unbelievers
need to be shown that they will be completely accepted by the family of God.
This acceptance should not come because of any qualifications or actions on
their part, but because God loves them. God loves people unconditionally. So
should we.
There are people
that you know who are lonely and don't fit in. Many feel ashamed and outcast
for whatever reason. If we make anyone feel like an outcast because he/she is
different, we do not live up to the example Jesus set for us.
If
we check people out to make sure they're cool before we share the gospel, we
are allowing our prejudices to interfere with God's work. This is a tragic mistake.
Often the error
of non-acceptance turns people away from God and Christianity — possibly
forever. They run as fast and as far away as they can in the other direction,
seeking out other religions and organizations that will embrace them. At that
point Satan and those he has deceived will stretch out their welcoming arms. If
the enemy has the ability to "love" and accept people, then how much
more should we! Remember, people will go where they are accepted and stay where
they are loved. Is your world a place where people want to stay?
Questions:
Do you know any
"outcasts" that could use some love expressed through acceptance
Do the people in your circle of influence know you as a disciple because of your outward expressions of unconditional love? Why or why not?
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