Parables of Jesus: What To Do While We Are Waiting

Focus Passage: Matthew 24:45-51

I hate waiting for a plane or for someone to call. It feels like wasted time. I know people who think that church is wasted time as well. They would rather just join a church when they are ready to die. The bible tells us what to do during that time of waiting.

When the Bible talks about the last days, people think about crazy people who put on white robes and sit on top of a mountain waiting for the last day. Jesus, however, talks about the last days as a time of activity caring for one another and doing the work that he has given us. The church is not just about feeling good or having fun together. The real test of a church should be whether it helps people know God better and help them to serve in ministry well. The church is the place where we confess our sin and see our savior. The church is the place where we grow so that we are ready for whatever comes in the days ahead. The most important thing to do while we wait for the last day is to be in God’s word.

Some will lose hope that Jesus will ever return v.48 The last days will be a time of deceit when many are fooled by the glamor and glitter of the age. The servant in the text doesn’t believe that the master will return. He has become so confused that he stops feeding and caring for the servants around him. Without a steady diet of God’s word, people are easily led astray by the world. Without the word, they will slowly drift from the Lord and will lose their connection with the Lord.

Some begin to act like the world and will be punished v.49 The servant starts to change. What had been a faithful servant now starts to have a moral breakdown and becomes just as wicked as the world around him. The ideas of the world are not working. The servant begins to use force to control them as the world tells him to do. When a church becomes lax in their Bible study, they often become places filled with quarreling and moral breakdowns. They become just like the world around them.

The faithful are healthy and hopeful v.45a The wise servant knows that feeding himself and others is not an option. He will be different than the world around him having gained wisdom from his time with the Lord. He will be faithful. He will continue to take time for being fed even in busy schedules because he knows that he will not survive without the food that the master has left for him. He will not be led astray by the false claims, but will stay close to what the master has given.

The faithful feed others with God’s Word v.45b Notice that the servant feeds the others with the master’s food. Workers are not expected to go and find or purchase the food. The church is to feed people with the food left by the master in his Bible. They are not to feed people the wisdom of the day or the latest polls. They want to feed people with a wisdom that lasts. They want to feed people based on the forgiveness of the cross of Jesus Christ. They want to feed people so that their lives change and work.

The servant in the text will be rewarded by the master for he has cared for and fed others instead of giving into the world around him. He will be rewarded by giving him further privileges and will be elevated in the household because of his wisdom and faithfulness. The person who continues in the word will find that it will have great rewards as well. They will gain a closer relationship with the Lord. No longer will God be someone far off, but will be someone that you know and who you can rely on to help you in every situation. You will also have a real purpose to life and will have a life that will accomplish great things. You will not look back in your last days and wonder what could have been. You will look at your children and the way that you lived your life and see all the people that the Lord let you impact. As you learn from the Lord and put it into practice, your life will be different.

Parables of Jesus: The Chance To Live Well

Focus passage: Matthew 22: 1-14

Time is often our most precious commodity. We receive invitations from friends, family, and the salesman on the phone. We can’t accept them all. Yet, God gives us an invitation that is worth accepting. He wants to shower us with gifts. Those who turn Him down will find themselves wishing that they hadn’t.

 From the moment that Adam and Eve sinned, God had invited his people to a banquet of forgiveness and blessing with his son. It was an invitation that people could accept or reject. It would not come with lightning bolts or legions of angels to force you to accept. God repeated the invitation throughout the centuries with prophet after prophet. God wanted so much to restore the relationship that He had with his people in the garden. He wanted to give them help as they lived in a harsh cruel world and hope for an eternity in heaven. The invitation still divides the people of the world. God wants to give the salvation won at the cross and a new life with him, but many will still reject it and God will not force it on anyone. As you listen to the parable anew, ask yourself what you and those you love have done with the invitation offered freely. 

 Some refused the invitation as they put life ahead of God v.5 Many in Jesus day made light of the invitation. They mocked his call for repentance. They were busy and life was going well. They visited the temple at the appropriate times, but they also had fields to manage and families to raise. Life was to be lived not wasted on Jesus. Jesus still doesn’t get that we live in a 24/7 world hooked up with 4g to the internet and working our way to fame and fortune.

  Some grew angry at the thought of needing a new life from God v.6 Some around Jesus grew angry. His teachings were disrupting their world. They didn’t need the new life he offered and they were tired of listening to his invitation. Today people grow weary with the invitation of God. His invitation shows that all religions are not alike. His invitation shows that there is something missing in their lives. People don’t want to hear the truth because it is painful.

 The invitation goes out to others who will accept it v.9 Yet the invitation could not be stopped. Jesus would travel through the nation of Judah calling out to those who knew that life was not right. They came by the thousands with their sick and with their questions. Life was not right and they were eager to hear the invitation. The invitation still cannot be stopped because so many realize that they need it. Some are broken while others just want something more than the world can offer

 God gives people His righteousness v.10 All who accept the invitation soon realize that the invitation is not based on their righteousness. It is the righteousness of the cross that gives entry to this invitation. His righteousness brings salvation to the disciple and to the thief on the cross. No one enters the banquet because they are good enough. Salvation and this new life are all based on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. His resurrection gives us what we have been longing for and could not find.

 Many invited, but few accept the call. The invitation for salvation and a new life goes out to the whole world, but few will accept it. Jesus even calls the way to heaven a narrow path. Many are too busy to really accept the full salvation that Jesus offers. Others will cling to their false gods and their false way of life and get tired of God’s invitation. Yet, there will be those who lives are broken enough or wise enough that they will see the beauty of God’s invitation. These are the ones who will succeed in life for they will have everything that they need from a loving God. The question still is what will you do with the invitation and will you share it with others.

Parables of Jesus: The (Self) Righteous Brother

Focus Passage: Luke 15:25-32

I confess that there are times when I am self-righteous. Lord forgive me for the times when I hear of someone who is struggling and I feel better about my life. We often forget about the second brother in the parable of the lost son. He was just as lost as the first brother and sometimes, so are we.

Most of us can relate to the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal son. We have looked at a beggar on the street who has two good hands and two good feet and thought him lazy. We have been upset with someone swearing at a ball game and wondered why they have no manners. Such feelings seem justifiable. The world is filled with sinners who are destroying their lives. We have better character and we may be avoiding some of their problems. We are the righteous ones. Yet, that righteousness is not from us. We have been made righteous by our God and by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It is not self-righteousness, but God righteousness. When we forget that righteousness is a gift from God we can rob ourselves of all the joy that God brings into our lives.

Over inflated self-worth v. 29b His words say it all. The older son has been out in the field working hard. Did anyone notice his hard work given day after day for the months or years that the younger brother was out playing around? He sees how the father and others value the younger son, but do they value him? Where was the celebration for his years of service? His reaction starts with an ego that is crushed. This celebration should be his celebration and be for the wayward brother. 

Misses the blessings he has had for years v. 29a The older brother has begun to think of his service as a duty. “This farm wouldn’t function without all the work that I put in day after day. You are lucky to have me. What if we had both run off like that worthless son of yours. You would be in trouble.” He has forgotten all that he received that the younger son missed. He had the father’s love every day and sat at a table filled with the best of food. He had been comfortable while his brother was suffering.

Contempt for others who do not feel our worth v.30 Ultimately, the older brother shows contempt for the father as well as his brother. In his self-righteousness, he is angry with anyone who does not feel just like he does. His self-righteousness creates a chasm between the father and him. If the father loves the younger son, then he must not love me. Self-righteousness makes us feel contempt for anyone who does not agree with us. People who have done nothing wrong are suddenly the enemy.

In some ways, this brother was just as lost as the younger brother. His heart is in a far country far removed from the Father’s love and character. The cure for his self-righteousness begins with the father’s love (v.31). In the text, the Father came to the older son to plead with him. The father is loving and gracious with this son. It is obvious that he values the older son and sees this son as important to him. It is only the love of the Lord that can break into a selfish heart. The story ends with the older brother standing outside the house. His anger has robbed him of the joy and celebration with family and friends. His bruised ego causes him to stand isolated from others grumbling and complaining. His pride won’t let him celebrate for his brother. When we see someone trapped in self-righteousness, we need to love them with God’s love, but most of all we need to pray for them. We need to help them to know that they are valued and appreciated for all that they do. Every child of the Father is special.

Parables of Jesus: When Freedom Goes Too Far

Focus Passage - Luke 15:11-24

How much freedom is really good? America is the land of the free, but is doing whatever our emotions or desires want freedom or bondage? The parable of the prodigal son shows what happens when we get all the freedom that we want in the world. It also shows us the real freedom that comes from God’s love.

Freedom can be taken too far. We feel we can do anything we want to. We want to play our music as loud late at night or have a dangerous dog. We want to shout profanity in the streets or wear clothing that others find offensive. Freedom can be abused. People think that they have a right to tell God what is right and fair as well. Surely, a loving God would never let anyone go to hell. We try to set the rules for life and ignore what our heavenly father knows is best for us. Sadly, that isn’t freedom, it is rebellion. Such rebellion will crash our lives and chain us to our urges and emotions. Jesus tells a story about the cost of rebellion and the path to real freedom.

Rebellion – getting what we want v.12 Let’s follow the path of the son in the text. The son is tired of the old family rules and feels that he knows how to live better than good old Dad. Give me my money and let me alone. I don’t need you. I have seen people chafe over God’s rules like that. The reinvent the Ten Commandments and decide what is good and what is bad. They tell God how much of their life that they will give Him. Often, they walk away from God because they think they know it all.

Awakening – reality dawns v.17 For the younger son, life falls apart. The most hopeful sentence in this story is “when he came to his senses”. The veil has come off his eyes. He realizes how he has been shackled to his own urges and emotions. Those who live in rebellion from God are in a nightmare that often catches up with them. Oddly, it is only when some of them hit bottom that they realize what they have done. They begin to see the carnage of a broken life.

Repent and return – hope is reborn v.20 The son does something that shows maturity. He admits his sin and humbly returns to seek a servant’s place in his father’s house. He doesn’t just say he was wrong; he is willing to follow that up with action. Admitting you did something wrong will not change your life unless you repent and change your life. To really be healed, you have to return to the Lord for help with addiction, broken marriage, or failing health. Words alone are not enough.

The son who expects to have to beg for an audience from his father finds the father running to greet him. This loving father has been waiting with a heavy heart for months or years. Those who humbly come before the Lord expecting His wrath will find His love and forgiveness. Our Heavenly Father is just waiting for people to come to their senses and to return to Him. While the son was just hoping to be a slave in his father’s house, the father accepts him as a son who is ready to build a new life. It shouldn’t surprise us. What loving father wouldn’t rejoice when he sees this change in his son?

The son is finally free. He is free to develop into the man that he was always meant to be. He is free of his sinful urges and now has a bright future ahead of him. Those who return to the Lord have a new beginning and a certain hope as well. The past is totally forgiven by the blood of Jesus from the cross. The present and future are filled with opportunities as God walks beside us and surrounds us with His love. The fool thinks that God holds them back and wants freedom from God. Yet, real freedom comes as we live with our God. He frees us from the control of the world and our emotions to live our life in His blessings every day.

Parables of Jesus: The Importance of One

Focus Passage: Luke 15:1-7

How important are you to Jesus? Many of us feel like God doesn’t care. He may want to help when hundreds of people are struggling, but helping just one seems like too much. How important are you to your father or your mother? What would they do to help you even though you are just one person? Jesus told a parable about the importance of one.

Three shiny school buses pulled up at the Cincinnati zoo with a load of third and fourth graders. The teacher in charge lectured the children about staying with their chaperone. Then[ME1]  off they went across the bridge and into the Zoo. Ted was following the group when he spotted a docent showing off an eagle feather and talon. He heard squawking behind him and went to see the eagles in their cage. After a few minutes, he realized that he wasn’t with the rest of the group. He began to panic. At the same time, Mrs. Kravitz was counting heads and realized Ted was gone. She jumped up and began to retrace her steps finally finding Ted crying in front of the eagle cage. Ted was lost like sheep in the text and like the sinners that were gathered around Jesus. There was a big difference between the Pharisees who were against Jesus and the sinners who just got lost.

Many lost sheep don’t deliberately run away v.4a Like Ted in the story, sheep don’t deliberately run away. They see a green patch of grass just beyond the flock and head for it. Soon they look around and don’t see the flock. Some people get distracted. They got busy and one day looked up and found that they were outside the church. They were not sure how to come back. Would people at the church accept them and would they feel comfortable?

Lost sheep can’t find their way back v.4b Like Ted in our story when sheep are lost, they normally can’t find their way back. They might head off in one direction looking for the flock and then another. In the end, the shepherd has to go looking for them. We think that everyone can find their way back to church, but it is harder than we think. It is hard to get back into the routine. They feel awkward because they have been gone for a while. Someone help them feel welcome to be back.

Lost sheep are valuable v.5 When the shepherd finds the sheep, he rejoices just like any teacher would the teacher did in our story. The sheep were so valuable that you didn’t even trust them to find their way back. The shepherd carried it on his shoulders to make sure that it got back safe. Lost sheep are valuable in the church. We sit with them in worship and help them get comfortable. Lay people need to do that and don’t expect the pastor will do it all because people are valuable to us all.

Sitting at the cheetah show, Ted was so happy to be back with his class. He wouldn’t admit it, but he thought that he would never find a home. He would vow that day to never leave the group again, but those who knew Ted knew that like a sheep he might wander off again. He was easily distracted. The sheep in the text can’t tell you how happy it is to be back in the flock, but many of the sheep who have come back to church in these doors will gladly tell you their story if asked. There is a joy coming back to the Lord and being part of the church once again. It is a joy in finding that the Lord still wants you and can forgive you anything you have done. It is a joy in being part of the flock again and having people support you. It is a joy in finding how the Lord blesses your life again and how good it feels to have his comfort and love. It doesn’t mean that sheep can’t get distracted again. The world is a busy place. It is just nice to have them home.

 [ME1]

Connected in Christ: Extreme Forgiveness

Focus Passage: Luke 6:27-38

How would you define extreme love? Is such love defined by a man rescuing someone from a burning building? Is it a young girl raising thousands of dollars to cure cancer? These people are different and we respect them for what they have done. Yet Jesus defines it as a radical way of life that we can all embrace.

For Jesus, it was the  extreme forgiveness that sets some Christians apart from the world around us. It is a love that others can recognize right away by the way that these people treat others and live out their relationships. You can have that kind of extreme love, Jesus will tell show you what it means and will help you to live it out. Jesus mentions three elements of such extreme forgiveness.

Extreme love v. 27 Jesus is really radical. He wants you to love your enemies as well as your friends. In a world where we teach people to defend themselves, he wants us to love everyone. His love is not selective. His love says to see the value in every person we meet. It is a choice that we must make whether it is saying nice things about a harsh boss or being kind to the neighbor who likes to complain about our kids or dogs. Jesus is saying that we should love others and show we belong to God.

Extreme mercy v.29a What if the world hurts us as we try to love them. Jesus says that we should not hit them back. Don’t go over to the “dark side” if the Darth Vader’s of the world attack. So what do we do when the world does hurt us? Can you believe that Jesus is telling you to not hit back? Forgiveness is letting go. It is refusing to be sucked into the world’s concept of an eye for an eye. Refusing to hit back is the way to break out of the downward cycle. Show them God’s light when they are dark.

Extreme generosity v.29b Now Jesus takes it one step further. Forgive if someone takes your property as well. We often want to fight to the death to save our stuff. Jesus has a different way, a radical way – let them have it. It is only property. We should not be so attached to our property that we would sacrifice ourselves to get it back. Trust God to provide for your needs and don’t let things destroy your life. Let them have the things of life so you can keep your soul and your values.

How is it possible to be that generous? v.37 It goes against everything that we have been taught. It is only possible for those who live in the shadow of the cross and its forgiveness. We have been forgiven and have felt the freedom that the cross gives to us. We never want to go back to the greedy and grubbing ways of the world. We never want to go to the dark side and become so wrapped up in trying to make things even or gain the other hand. We would have to give up to much to gain so little.

Jesus was more radical than most of us give Him credit. Just stop and listen to what He is saying. He is telling us to do nothing when we are wronged, but offer love and forgiveness instead of the hate. He wants us to create cycles of good that lift people up instead of cycles of hatred that just spiral downward.  Can you imagine what it would be like to live in a world where people watched out for one another and shared so that every person was cared for? Pray for people who are filled with anger and hatred. Bring their hurts and pains to the cross so that Jesus can bear the sin and overcome the dark side. Yes, that is extreme, but it is the love of Jesus and we can only love like that if Jesus is in our hearts and lives. 

Connected in Christ: Truthful, But Tender

Focus Passage: Matthew 16:13-28

Most of us are people pleasers. We want someone’s approval and find it very hard to be honest. Who wants to disappoint people? Let’s say that your child brought home his art project. He is beaming and says look Mom what I made. With horror in your gut, you notice that the project he is so proud of is just plain awful. What do you say to your beaming child? What if it isn’t an art project, but it is a coworker who is stealing or a friend who is into drinking or x rated videos? How do you tell someone that they are messing up their life? Jesus gives us the answer as He speaks to Peter. He is tender but truthful to a disciple who has got it all wrong.

Jesus is not afraid to compliment Peter v.17. Jesus is always spending time with the disciples. He asks them questions. He gives them challenges. He is always seeking to build them and expand them so that they understand what God’s plan is. And when they get it, He commends them. Peter must have felt good when Jesus complimented him in front of the others disciples. Jesus built up the disciples and showed them that He cared. He earned the right to be truthful by being so tender.

Jesus must be honest, too v.22. Peter then makes a drastic error. He has assumed that if Jesus was the Messiah that the things that Jesus was saying could never happen. It was like putting your arm around a friend and saying “I doubt that you know what you are talking about”. Jesus sees the horrible unfolding of that logic. If unchecked, Peter and the others will think that anyone who serves the Lord will never face crisis or difficulty. When they all face persecution later in life, their faith may fail.

Jesus tenderly explains the truth v.26 Jesus doesn’t just correct Peter, He explains why Peter’s words were wrong. In a speech that they probably didn’t want to hear, Jesus taught them what it really meant to be the followers of the Messiah. The rewards will come in the end, but they will face hardship at first that will test the limits of their faith. A true friend doesn’t just tell someone that they are wrong but encourages them with the right answer so they know why their answer was wrong.

When you correct someone, examine your motives. We all know people who like to point out everyone else’s faults. As we see a flaw out of control in another’s life, we must be truthful for the sole purpose of saving that person from the firestorm that will come and destroy them. We must love them enough that we want to save them from the affair, from the drugs, or from their workaholic tendencies. The truth is always to lift them up not tear them down. The truth is to build them up so that they can be better not bring them down so that you look good.

Just have the courage to care. The other extreme is one of silence. When someone is wrong, it is easy to walk away and say nothing. You never know how they will react to being told that they are wrong. Jesus shows what real love is. He has built the relationship so that the disciples know His honesty is based on love. He explains why their views will hurt them and helps them understand the truth. That is not always easy, but it is what a friend does for you. It is a gift of love when you have the courage to care enough to say something. Having examined your motives, tell the person in love what the truth is and you will give them a great gift that they may cherish all their lives.

Connecting In Christ: Loving Flawed People

Focus Passage: John 8:1-11

The sun was low in the sky on this day after the Feast of Tabernacles. The pilgrims were ready to start home, but many had crowded around Jesus to hear him one last time before they left. Pushing through the crowd, a group of Pharisees brought a woman half dressed and forced her to stand before the crowd. With anger in their eyes, they practically spit out the charge, ‘we have caught this woman in adultery – Jesus, what do you say should happen to her?” His words disarmed them. “You who are without sin, cast the first stone.’ His response serves as an example of how we are to deal with the flawed people that surround us in life.

It is so easy to focus on another’s flaws. What would it have been like to be part of the crowd that day? The accusation was clear, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.” V.4 The woman never argued that she was innocent. Her clothes and appearance probably made everyone know she was guilty. Have her stoned to death. She is guilty and deserves the right penalty. Why is it that we cheer when someone else if found guilty?

It is so easy to feel self-righteous. The Pharisees know what should be done, “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?" (v.5) They want Jesus to make the pronouncement so that they can feel smug. Yet, what happens when we are the one who is less than perfect. We get caught in a lie. We overextend our credit cards and are deep in debt. We all have deep secrets. Maybe that is why we are glad when the spotlight gets turned onto the problems and sins of others. In the shadows, we can look a little more perfect.

Jesus’ pause makes us feel uneasy. I find myself wondering what Jesus wrote in the dust. Was it the sins of those who were accusing – as God he would have known who was naughty and who was nice better than Santa Claus. When he does speak, he tells them "If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (v.7) As I read the story, I find myself squirming. Just at the time that we think we are safe, our flaws are exposed. Yet, the perfect Jesus reaches out and surprises us all.

Jesus surprises us with grace. It must have been awkward to stand before Jesus as wrote in the sand. His words – “then neither do I condemn you” (v.11) must have been a surprise.  Having her sin laid raw before Jesus and having been humiliated before the crowd, Jesus forgives her and gives her back her dignity and her self-worth. She is forgiven under the cross of Jesus. Seek out the forgiveness of the cross. Only the cross has the ability to heal the flaws that we all have.

Before he lets her leave, Jesus gives her a word of encouragement and a direction. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (v.11)  He is saying that now that I have begun to unwrap you of your sin, do not go and get tangled again. For Jesus, it was not enough to just forgive her of her sin, he wanted to pull her out of the sin. To give her forgiveness only to have her go back to the same sin doesn’t rescue her. The forgiveness must be given as a chance at a new life. It must be the same for us. Jesus’ command to the woman sums up the mission. Free people by the forgiveness of Jesus from their sin and love them enough to help them sin no more.

Connecting In Christ: Showing Up

Focus Passage: Matthew 25:31-46

If you love someone, you show up when they are in need. It doesn’t matter how busy you are or how difficult it will be, you will be there to help. My wife Joan knows what that is like. It was a first year of ministry in a new parish and her sister died in a car accident 400 miles away. We rushed to be with Joan’s family and support each other. Yet, when we got back only one person out of the 300 in our congregation came to the door or sent a card consoling Joan in her grief. They loved her, but just figured that a pastor’s wife didn’t need their help with grief. Jesus in the text talks of a host of opportunities for us to show up for one another. Love is about showing up for others and putting the faith you confess into action.

Love is showing up.  One of the best examples that I can think of love is the three friends of Job. When Job loses his wealth and all his children, the three friends come and sit with him for a week with out saying a word. Job thinks that he has lost everything and here his friends show that he not lost one thing – their friendship. They will sit with him. They will cry with him. They will take on his pain. Loving friends show up.

Love is about listening No one said that you have to have all the answers. Nothing could be further from the truth. The book of James tells us to be slow to speak and quick to listen. We often have no idea what they are really feeling or what they really need. What they need is an ear to listen and to let them vent their frustration and their pain. God can speak volumes of love through our quiet.

Love is about praying. And when they are wearied by their own words or wearied by the emotions that have been spent, take time and pray. Few are offended – even non-Christians – if you pray for them from your heart and without any source of personal gain. Pray about the concerns that you heard with your heart as they spoke. And pray from your heart – not in big words, but in the emotions of one who has been touched by what you have heard.

Let it touch your heart. When Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus, we find that the text says simply – Jesus wept. He wouldn’t have had to do that. He knew that the Father was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. If such pain can touch the heart of our Lord, it should touch our heart as well. You feel the pain of those who are hungry or thirsty. You feel the pain of those mourning or in grief. You feel the loneliness of the stranger. Showing up is showing up with your human emotions. Even Jesus cried and had his heart broken by the needs of others. They felt his heart and knew that he had fully shown up for them. It is the same today.

Connecting In Christ: As I Have Loved You

Focus passage: John 15:9-17

How much do you love me? How much do you love your wife or your children? How much do you love the friend down the street or the cousin across the country? I guess the only way to really know is what you would do for them. Would you help them by giving them $1000 if they were really in trouble? Would you give someone one of your kidneys if you were a match? To be honest, I would gladly do either of those for a wife or one of my children, but giving a kidney would be hard for a friend or even a cousin that I don’t see often. Jesus seems to sometimes ask the impossible.  On the night before Jesus dies, He asks them to love each other just as He has loved them. There had been no doubt of His love through the three years He had been with them. Now as He prepared to show them how much He loved them by dying for them, he asked what they were willing to do for each other. What would you sacrifice for Jesus? Could you love others even half as much as He has loved you?

Was it an impossible command? v.12. I sense the disciples wondering if they could ever love as much as Jesus had loved them and others. I find myself wondering the same thing. He had been willing to make sacrifices for them and for others. His love had always been pure and open to a lot of people who did not deserve His love. He had opened his hear to the widow, the prostitute, the tax collector and even many Pharisees. Who could love like that? There is no way you will love anyone, even yourself as much as Jesus loves you. I sense Him telling you and me to look to Him as the model for love. Don’t love conditionally. Don’t love expecting something back in return. To love as He does is not about quantity, it is about quality. Aim to love with an open heart like Jesus did.

He is our source of love v.9 Come to Jesus and let him show you his love. Real love is only possible if we abide in Jesus. They must keep connected to Jesus if they are to have the power needed to have such love. Our love runs out. It gets tired. It gets distracted. His love never ran out. He loved even the unlovable people of His society. I know that when I struggle to love others, the problem is that I don’t always realize how much Jesus loves me. I have not pondered the depth of His love and the depth of my unworthiness. I don’t deserve His love, but God has given it to me regardless. When I bask in the love of Jesus, it warms me and gives me confidence to love others. I give His love to others because, by myself, I don’t have enough love to give away.

Still don’t feel like loving? v. 11 There are times that all sounds nice, but I am struggling with my own problems and don’t have time to love and listen to the troubles of others. How can I help others when I feel like I am running on empty?  In order to love, we have to be filled with Jesus’ love. The disciples had felt that love intimately for three years. Now Jesus was asking them to love as they had been loved. Many Christians have kept Jesus at an arm’s length. He is not allowed in their workplace, their home, or their hobbies. He is at the edge of life confined to church events. That makes it hard to love others because we are starving for love ourselves. Those who find it easy to love have invited Jesus into their lives and hearts so that they can reach in and let His love reach out from inside them.

Giving from the abundance of Jesus’ love. v.15 A starving man struggles to give away some of the precious food he has. A person who receives more food each day gives out of the abundance for they have more than they need. Jesus has called them friends and has given them more than they could use every day He has been with them. Sounds like foolishness, doesn’t it. Yet, Jesus in the previous verses talks about abiding in him and abiding in his words. Taking time to learn from Jesus is the key. You can’t spend two hours and think you have mastered Algebra. Those who daily are in Bible study and prayer are putting the Lord inside of their hearts in a powerful way that they can reach in and use in those times that they need to love or need Jesus’ help.

People notice when Christians love. They notice when Christians feel the hungry at a soup kitchen. They notice when Christians hand out backpacks to school children or visit the elderly at the nursing home. If a business is giving away free pens or has a drawing for a free trip to the Caribbean, there is often a feeling that there is a catch. Our world gives to get something in return. The genuine love of Christians as they care for the people around them defies logic. It is not giving because we get something in return. It is giving to others because Jesus has already given to us. Such love and giving set Christians apart from the world and can lead people to want the love of Jesus that we have. While we can never love to the degree that Jesus did, if we have Jesus in our heart, we will love the way that he did.