PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 5:43-48
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
Jesus ups the ante on what it means to love God and neighbour.
Our love should be perfect, like God’s love for us and for ALL people.
All people have a restricted sense of love – for their own, for those who love them.
But to love your enemy, those who persecute you, the evil and the unrighteous?
Perfect love is how Jesus describes God’s love for all people.
Shining and showering his blessing on the good AND the bad.
The original word perfect means: having reached its end, complete, full grown.
It reminds us how God originally created us, and will restore us one day.
Perfect love is God-like human love, what God’s Law is calling for.
I cannot be perfect, but Jesus has been perfect for me, and is now helping me.
My calling is to aim for perfection, to grow towards loving the unlovable.
So who are the unlovable that I need to shower with blessing?
This is what sets us apart from the world; we aim for God’s kind of love!
The question for me is, am I even aiming for this kind of love?
PRAYER
Lord, is my love different from those who do not know you? At times theirs is stronger than mine! I am falling short, but am I even aiming for it?
Love my enemies – love those who ‘tick-me-off’ – as Jesus says, follow the example of God Himself: “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” God does not stop providing rain and sunshine on those who reject or ignore Him – so neither should I withhold my love and respect others no matter what. Lord help me to look past the things that hold me back from being patient and loving like you Lord Jesus!
Love.
Love one another.
The summary of the Gospel is love – love God. Love man.
Christ was the example of love and I need to do the same. Be like Christ to others.
Love and pray for one another – for all people – the likeable and the unlikeable.
Be an instrument of His peace also this day sharing the love of God by words and deeds.
I love You Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
In Your ear
1 Beloved, let us love:
for love is of God;
in God alone love has its true abode.
2 Beloved, let us love:
for those who love,
they only, are his children from above.
3 Beloved, let us love:
for love is rest,
and those who do not love cannot be blessed.
4 Beloved, let us love:
for love is light,
and those who do not love still live in night.
5 Beloved, let us love:
for only thus
shall we see God, the Lord who first loved us.