For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? Matthew 5:46 NABRE
Jesus takes a view about love that is a challenge to all who hear or read His message. Jesus says we should love those who are our enemies and we should pray for those who persecute us. This is what it means to be Christian, loving those who the world would tell us to ignore, or cancel, or avoid. We all know that person who is loud, or obnoxious, they think they are always right, they claim to be good though their behavior is anything but good. It is so easy to leave someone like this and find people who are like us, who love us, who think we are wonderful. We see people like us and say you are wonderful and they say to us you are wonderful. People like this are easy to love. But for Jesus even people considered low, or those who turn away from their own community do this. They are not followers of Jesus and they don’t care about people’s opinion of them and even they love those who love them. We don’t represent Jesus if we are followers who only love those who love us, anyone can do this. Followers of Jesus are challenged to do what is hard, love those who are difficult to love, the obnoxious, someone who thinks highly of themselves, someone who thinks they are always right. If we can love difficult people then our lives point to Jesus declaring we love because Jesus loves us and teaches us to love everyone, even the most difficult to love.
There is no one God does not love. There are those who act in a way that does not make God proud, but God knows everyone is worthy of love. We may be surprised at the final judgement when we see who God has loved and forgiven. Always love those who are difficult to love.
Who do you love? Can you name an obnoxious person as someone you love?
There is no one God does not love, everyone is worthy of love. We may be surprised at the final judgement when we see who God has loved and forgiven. Always love those who are difficult to love. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #enemy #love #Matthew #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #gospels #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways