Jesus and Love

Even though love was the word for January, one can never reflect too much on it, especially since Jesus gave it as the greatest commandment,

This years political fiasco has me up thinking about Jesus and love. It's like he woke me up and said...."Get out of the boat".  I've written before about how hard it is to get out of the boat, to have that faith, and to speak from the heart. This morning I feel moved to muse about what love was for Jesus. How did he let the healing love of God play a center role in his life?

So often we attempt to see love in a narrow view, being nice to others, accepting them when we don't agree with them, making sure we do not speak ill of them . And that is definitely a start but is that really the deep love that Jesus asks us to have for others. Don't our actions speak louder than words? Even while accepting others do we practice inclusion or exclusion? Do we divide or do we bring together?

"How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" Matthew 7:4
 
We all are sinners and yet we tend to forget that. We tend to somehow think our sins are lesser or less offensive and focus on the sins of others. Sometimes to the extent that we avoid them, refuse to be around them or wish that they were not part of "our world". We might hope to change them. Is that what Jesus did? I have written before how Jesus was a rebel and usually hung out with people others did not associate with. And he didn't do so for the purpose of changing them, he did it simply out of his great love.

"While Jesus was at Matthews house many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples."  Matthew 9:10 (He was criticized for this by the way.)

Jesus was anointed by a sinful woman and he didn't say "I can't be seen with you." He felt her love for him and her love was enough. He didn't ask her to change before he loved her. He didn't even preach to her or suggest she do so. He loved her regardless of what she did or what others thought of her.

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Luke 7:36-50

In an earlier post we mused about the Samaritan woman at the well. when asked for a drink she wondered, "how can you be talking to me." because at that time Jews did not speak to Samaritans. Yet that didn't stop Jesus from doing so.  

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.^)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4: 9-10

 There are many examples of Jesus's acceptance and love evident in the Bible. While many will argue that he wants us to bring others to God and that "changing" these sinners is important. I'd suggest that ...that is NOT what Jesus did. He accepted them and loved them unconditionally. God knows what is in our hearts and we are very specifically told not to judge others. That is not our role here on earth.

I've written before about the nature of good and evil; how one could be seen as "becoming" and the other as "unbecoming." I'm worried that our current political arena is quickly "unbecoming", dissolving into something dark, as political figures on both sides frequently throw around God's name without living God's ways. (Some obviously more than others) Isn't that indicative of false prophets? 

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Matthew 7:15

I'd rather have someone not speak of God at all than one who tries to distort God's messages. The whole purpose of my soul musings is to "become", to increase my understanding of God as it plays out in my life and to seek a higher connection to Him through His conversations with me. Sometimes he whispers and other times he pretty much knocks me in the head with something, Each of us experiences God's love and his messages in different ways. The key is to be open to his voice. God's plan is not for us all to be the same but for each of us to bring our unique gifts into this world. He weaves a tapestry with all of the threads of our lives and it is breathtakingly beautiful. It's freeing....He knows my heart and in the end only He will judge.

HUGS....I'm ending with a great video from Casting Crowns, I hope you will take a minute to listen to it.