1 John 4:7-8 (NRSCVE)
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.”
When Jesus submitted himself to the will of GOD, He understood the immeasurable love of our Father in the Highest Heaven for us sinners to become His children. GOD has to offer His greatest possession, His Son Jesus Christ for us. HE declared His love for Jesus in Matthew 3:17, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Jesus Christ is no doubt the love and joy of the Father. But the Father willed to show His love for us by laying down the life of His dear Son for us not only to become children but also friends of Jesus Christ. It is said in John 15:13, “ There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” therefore, this kind of love that is to be shown and for us to imitate is the greatest love of all.
The aim of GOD, the Father is to make us His children through the suffering of Jesus Christ. We should understand that HE set an example of love to follow. It is loving the sinners (not the sin) while they are sinning. It is well explained by St. Paul in Romans 5:7-8. He made it clear, “Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” If we would not believe it, surely there’s another way, Hebrews 12:6 say’ “for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.” It’s our choice, to become children of GOD through Jesus, or through on our own.
Yes, this is not easy because this is the way to holiness that GOD requires from us on how we can become His children. But if we love like Jesus, we will become children of the Most High and rewards are eternal. Jesus wanted us to understand why and how to do it.
Jesus said, “ But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you only love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:27-36)
Most of us think these things as foolishness, “GOD letting His Son suffer, and us, offering the other cheek if anyone strikes our cheek?” If we are one of those who think this is foolishness, then we don’t know who is GOD and who must be His children. We do not know that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and even Jesus was insulted, being slapped on his face, nothing can change Him as the Son of GOD. It is therefore should be in us too.
If we let others slap our other cheek again, it is not because of stupidity, it is because we know that we are more than conquerors through this kind of love of Jesus. We are the winners, not them. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the wisest and influential because he reached the understanding of this great love of GOD for mankind. He said, “ Love is the only force that is capable of transforming the enemy into a friend.” He knows that only Love can drive out hate, hate can never do that. Also, Mahatma Gandhi, an advocate of love and a great conqueror through non-violence had said, “The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” He also understood that ‘Anger and intolerance are the enemies of Correct Understanding’.
Only few are great because only few can understand and can do the will of GOD. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “ Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually.” “For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”(1 Corinthians 1:25 )
1 John 3:1 says, “ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” My dear friends, we should try to know GOD and His statutes, for when we face GOD, HE is the only one that has the right to judge. (James 4:12) I pray that the God who is Love, the Father who will beget us in Jesus kind of love, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the purpose of GOD in teaching us how to love one another as Jesus had loved us.
As Jesus imparted; “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”
Now we can fully grasp why Jesus summed up the two great commandments into one new commandment; To love one another as He had loved us (Jn 13:34). Jesus loved us selflessly to show His love to the Father because He knew what the Father wants. If we knew the Father wants, we will also show Him our love by loving others as Jesus had loved us.. AMEN
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