It’s Friday…Become One of Them

The greatest commandment of all, said Jesus, is to love God with everything we are and everything we have. We are to have a passion for The Almighty that exceeds all our other passions. It’s what we were created for. But in the context of fallen humanity Jesus lays down a principle about our love. It’s contingent on the mercy we have experienced. Our fallen human heart does not love the holy heart of God unless mercy paves the way. And where love is faint, mercy has been missed.

“He who has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47)

Jesus is visiting in the home of Simon the Pharisee, who demonstrated little love for Him. Curiosity, perhaps. Some level of hospitality, of course. But little love, if any. Instead, he takes advantage of this opportunity to lecture Jesus in front of others. What does this say about his understanding of God’s mercy? According to Jesus, it means he has missed it. He doesn’t have a clue. He probably sees himself right with God already. And he sees Jesus as a prophet, a teacher, a troublemaker or something other than The One who takes away the sins of the world. He does not know Jesus’ forgiveness, and He does not know His own need. And His love for Jesus – and for God – is minuscule.

What about our love for God? Does it overflow with gratitude? If not, let’s go back to the Cross. Let’s get a good understanding of what happened there. Let’s contemplate the huge chasm that once lay between the deadness of our spirit and the life of our God. Let’s understand that we were separated from any deserving claim on His goodness. Let’s remember that everything that brought us back to Him was all love and mercy – nothing else. The love of Jesus is pure, and unbridled. His love knows no restraint and accepts no resistance.

Few people truly understand God’s mercy. Let’s Become One Of Them. Let’s know the magnitude of His mercy. And let our love for Him reflect it.

Have a lovely weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who get Him, who know His love because they have received it and give His love away. They get it because they’ve known the other, and there’s not turning back for them.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)