Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019

Love for those different than you is probably one of the toughest of Jesus’ lessons to learn and embody in life, but it is also the greatest of Jesus’ teachings. It is exactly what Jesus embodied himself when he died on the cross for us. We all think that it is tough to love someone whom you disagree with vehemently or that you feel actually hates you. But how much harder do you think it was for Jesus to love us when all he saw were sinners — people not only opposed to his Father but actively sinning against Him every day. People who feigned piety but in reality were just thieves and overlords of God’s creation. People who, when all he was trying to do was bring love and God’s wisdom to the world, crucified him with taunts and jeers until his final breath. Jesus showed us how it is not only possible to love everyone, but actually sacrifice for those who hate you. Probably the most apt description of God’s love for us is this, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We didn’t have to change our ways for God to love us and Jesus to die for us, so why do we demand others change to earn our love? Today, reassess how you treat others when comparing it to how Jesus treated everyone.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 NIV