Just...Love

Just...Love

Matthew 22:35-40

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second one is like unto it. Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Love God! Love His People! Just Love! It seems like it would be a simple commandment. The word seems simple enough... It's one syllable... easy to pronounce... LOVE! But it seems as if it is the hardest thing to do and understand. 

Isn't it ironic that Jesus said that the 1st and the 2nd commandments were to love? Wow! There are 10 commandments that God gave to Moses, yet He didn't say, "Don't have any gods before me, Don't covet, Don't steal, or Keep the Sabbath holy", were the greatest. Love was the greatest commandment. I guess it's not that ironic, since God is love. He loved us enough to send his only begotten son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). That's love and all He requires is that we lead with love.

Talking to my 86 year old grandmother, one day she said the world and people are so different. I don't even know what all this stuff means - LBGTQIA and transgender. I just don't understand it all. I laughed, but later I thought deeply about it, and picked up the conversation. I said grandmom, I don't understand it all either. I just do what God tells me to do. I just love Him and them. 

See dear friends, God will work out the kinks and the details. He didn't say challenge,  confront, criticize, He said love. Then He made it real plain - love them as you love yourself. Can I tell you, that I love me! I look out for me. I respect me. I take good care of me. And so God charges us to do the very same thing for our neighbors. 

And isn't it ironic that He said your neighbor? So wherever you go and wherever you move, you have a neighbor. You notice how He didn't clarify or specify who the neighbor would be? He didn't say your black neighbor, your white neighbor, your transgender neighbor, your gay neighbor, your Asian neighbor, your anti-Christ neighbor. He just said your neighbor.

So what's the problem with the world today?  We have forgotten the two most important commandments. Love God and Love People. You know most of the problems in the world right now could be solved with love ~ Racism, Sexism, Classism, Discrimination, Police Brutality, Hate Crimes, School Shootings, Serial Killings, Mass Murders, Abortions, and the list goes on. God says just love. You know why? It is explained in 1 Peter 4:8, "above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." 

People who love God, but hate their neighbors who look different, act different, or worship different are truly misguided. 1 John 4:20 says, if a man says, he loves God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that love not his brother whom he has seen how can he love God whom he has not seen?" Whew, Conviction, anyone? We cannot cry out our love for God and not love the people that God made. It just doesn't work like that. 

The foundation of the Christian faith is built around a God who loved his people so much and saw their sin and their wrong living and instead of sending them to hell for an eternity, looked around Heaven and sent His ONLY son, to save people who would later, reject and crucify Him. That's love!! He didn't spare His only son, but gave Him up for us (Romans 8:32).

It's really simple, God says, "Just Love", I'll sort them out later. If for no other reason, love because you are loved. Today your assignment is to show the love of God to your neighbor - not just your neighbor on your street, but your neighbor at the grocery store, the gas station, the post office - the ones who look different, talk different, walk different, dress different, love different - all of them!! Just show love today and don't forget to live in the RED, #Loved and #Forgiven. 

#Loved

#Forgiven

#LovingGod

#LovingOthers