Taking love to the next level
This week's Bible study is on Matthew 5:43-48:
A lot of Christians love each other. A lot of what invites new people into the faith is a sense of the love people have for one another. But not many Christians love those who are inconvenient to love. What about people who make themselves our enemies? Bullies who persecute us? Faceless bureaucrats who extort our money and molest us in airports? Militant Atheists and Muslims? Homeless, mentally ill, and very emotionally exploitive people? Do we love those people too?
It's easy to love people who are like us. They are "our people." They are "family." But what about the others who are not "family" or "our people?" Throughout history, people have done incredibly cruel things to each other because of that sense of division between "us" and "them." Psychologically, part of the preparations used to get people to kill each other in war is to convince recruits to see the enemy as something less than human, as "the other." Hitler used it in convincing otherwise good Germans to slaughter their Jewish friends and neighbors. Most genocides, in fact, stem from that sort of "we, who are human" versus "they, who are somewhat less so" mindset.
We naturally draw divisions between "us" and "them." God even mandated it in the beginning, dividing between the pure Jewish people and the Gentile "dogs." The difference is that Christ came back to save all of mankind. That means he loves all peoples. And he loves even sinners. So what room can there be for the "us versus them" thinking when emulating Christ?
How can we represent Christ to all people, when we're viewing the world as "Christians versus heathens" or "People who go to our church versus people who go to less cool churches" or "People in our denomination versus people in that other denomination" or "People who commit adultery versus people who don't?" Doesn't Christ call us to love all people, whatever form that love ends up taking?
Do we love the people who are badmouthing our faith in the media? Would we have a militant atheist over for coffee? Would we give a ride home to the TSA agent who just barked orders at us and made us undress in front of a line of strangers? When people try to drive us out of the public eye and limit our speech regarding the Gospel, do we pray for them with a good heart? Or is it "Us versus them" or "God bring fire down on them?"
We can do the easy love on our own. Everyone loves their own kind. Most people manage to love their family, or their fellow church people or coworkers. But who loves their enemies? That love is hard! Only a love of the sort that loves us in our sin could do that. We have to love the way Christ loves. We have to allow him to change our wiring so that we can pass along the gift of love he gave us and not hoard it for ourselves.
God blesses good people and bad. How else could evil people prosper like the good do sometimes? God loves people, even if ultimately some of them end up in Hell. If we're allowing Christ in us to shape our character to be like His, should we be more discriminatory than God? How could we be, and still claim to represent the same Christ who loved us all? In accepting his gift and taking his name, we're compelled to take our love for mankind to a higher level.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
A lot of Christians love each other. A lot of what invites new people into the faith is a sense of the love people have for one another. But not many Christians love those who are inconvenient to love. What about people who make themselves our enemies? Bullies who persecute us? Faceless bureaucrats who extort our money and molest us in airports? Militant Atheists and Muslims? Homeless, mentally ill, and very emotionally exploitive people? Do we love those people too?
It's easy to love people who are like us. They are "our people." They are "family." But what about the others who are not "family" or "our people?" Throughout history, people have done incredibly cruel things to each other because of that sense of division between "us" and "them." Psychologically, part of the preparations used to get people to kill each other in war is to convince recruits to see the enemy as something less than human, as "the other." Hitler used it in convincing otherwise good Germans to slaughter their Jewish friends and neighbors. Most genocides, in fact, stem from that sort of "we, who are human" versus "they, who are somewhat less so" mindset.
We naturally draw divisions between "us" and "them." God even mandated it in the beginning, dividing between the pure Jewish people and the Gentile "dogs." The difference is that Christ came back to save all of mankind. That means he loves all peoples. And he loves even sinners. So what room can there be for the "us versus them" thinking when emulating Christ?
How can we represent Christ to all people, when we're viewing the world as "Christians versus heathens" or "People who go to our church versus people who go to less cool churches" or "People in our denomination versus people in that other denomination" or "People who commit adultery versus people who don't?" Doesn't Christ call us to love all people, whatever form that love ends up taking?
Do we love the people who are badmouthing our faith in the media? Would we have a militant atheist over for coffee? Would we give a ride home to the TSA agent who just barked orders at us and made us undress in front of a line of strangers? When people try to drive us out of the public eye and limit our speech regarding the Gospel, do we pray for them with a good heart? Or is it "Us versus them" or "God bring fire down on them?"
We can do the easy love on our own. Everyone loves their own kind. Most people manage to love their family, or their fellow church people or coworkers. But who loves their enemies? That love is hard! Only a love of the sort that loves us in our sin could do that. We have to love the way Christ loves. We have to allow him to change our wiring so that we can pass along the gift of love he gave us and not hoard it for ourselves.
God blesses good people and bad. How else could evil people prosper like the good do sometimes? God loves people, even if ultimately some of them end up in Hell. If we're allowing Christ in us to shape our character to be like His, should we be more discriminatory than God? How could we be, and still claim to represent the same Christ who loved us all? In accepting his gift and taking his name, we're compelled to take our love for mankind to a higher level.
Lots of good stuff here! I know that my faith takes a jump forward when I forgive and move on.
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