A Lenten Reflection
"Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
~1 John 4:21b
Whosoever loves God MUST also love his brother. Who is our brother? When Jesus was presented with a similar question, He gave us the parable of the good Samaritan- which teaches all are our brothers, and it is he who acts in love and good faith that honors God. It is he, or she, who reaches out to the hurting person in love that is truly doing the work of God.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the "righteous" pass the wounded man on the side of the road, and it is the Samaritan (a group of people the Jews disdained and would have no contact with) that aided the wounded man and paid for his care. When Jesus asks who was the good neighbor in this situation, we all know it is the man who actually stopped and did something for the injured- the man who didn't regard race and class separations but acted in love anyway.
The verse above tells us if we truly love God we absolutely must love our brothers. Who is your brother or sister? They are not just those who go to your church, your civic clubs, your gym, your workplace. They are not just your friends and family, your social peers. Your brother or sister is the homeless man or woman down on their luck and needing help. They are the disenfranchised youth, the ones you shake your head at and wonder what this world is coming to. They are the prisoners. They are the scared and lonely seniors, abandoned in nursing homes or trying to fend the best they can in their lifelong homes now in older, not so well kept neighborhoods. They are the people of other faiths, the people of other sexual preferences, the people of other race. They are anyone God puts you in contact with. Anyone.
Each person you meet is someone God set for you to meet. You are His ambassador to them. Are you showing His love to them? You're not going to like each person you meet- we're all human and some interactions don't go so smoothly. The Bible says we must love our neighbors as ourselves, which means we are to help take care of them. Let's be honest, do any of us like everything about ourselves? I know I don't...but I still value myself, take care of myself, love myself. We all do. We all take care of ourselves even when there are traits and characteristics about us that we don't like.
In the same manner, you can not like everything about someone else, yet still love them. Love, like forgiveness, is more an action than a feeling sometimes. We show love by acting in love. You may not like how that angry teenager cusses, but treat them in gentleness anyway. You may not like how pretentious your next door neighbor acts, be friendly and kind anyway. As you find actions of love to do for someone else- everything from a smile, to a prayer, to a plate of cookies or a warm jacket- you will find the feelings will follow.
Just remember as you meet each person- this is someone God loves. God loves them so much He died on a cross for them. Ask yourself, how can I show them a fraction of His love today?
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
"Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
~1 John 4:21b
Whosoever loves God MUST also love his brother. Who is our brother? When Jesus was presented with a similar question, He gave us the parable of the good Samaritan- which teaches all are our brothers, and it is he who acts in love and good faith that honors God. It is he, or she, who reaches out to the hurting person in love that is truly doing the work of God.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the "righteous" pass the wounded man on the side of the road, and it is the Samaritan (a group of people the Jews disdained and would have no contact with) that aided the wounded man and paid for his care. When Jesus asks who was the good neighbor in this situation, we all know it is the man who actually stopped and did something for the injured- the man who didn't regard race and class separations but acted in love anyway.
The verse above tells us if we truly love God we absolutely must love our brothers. Who is your brother or sister? They are not just those who go to your church, your civic clubs, your gym, your workplace. They are not just your friends and family, your social peers. Your brother or sister is the homeless man or woman down on their luck and needing help. They are the disenfranchised youth, the ones you shake your head at and wonder what this world is coming to. They are the prisoners. They are the scared and lonely seniors, abandoned in nursing homes or trying to fend the best they can in their lifelong homes now in older, not so well kept neighborhoods. They are the people of other faiths, the people of other sexual preferences, the people of other race. They are anyone God puts you in contact with. Anyone.
Each person you meet is someone God set for you to meet. You are His ambassador to them. Are you showing His love to them? You're not going to like each person you meet- we're all human and some interactions don't go so smoothly. The Bible says we must love our neighbors as ourselves, which means we are to help take care of them. Let's be honest, do any of us like everything about ourselves? I know I don't...but I still value myself, take care of myself, love myself. We all do. We all take care of ourselves even when there are traits and characteristics about us that we don't like.
In the same manner, you can not like everything about someone else, yet still love them. Love, like forgiveness, is more an action than a feeling sometimes. We show love by acting in love. You may not like how that angry teenager cusses, but treat them in gentleness anyway. You may not like how pretentious your next door neighbor acts, be friendly and kind anyway. As you find actions of love to do for someone else- everything from a smile, to a prayer, to a plate of cookies or a warm jacket- you will find the feelings will follow.
Just remember as you meet each person- this is someone God loves. God loves them so much He died on a cross for them. Ask yourself, how can I show them a fraction of His love today?
On towards the Cross,
-Beth Haynes Butler
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