Devotion:
Read Matthew 5:43-48.
Think for a moment about your personal friends, acquaintances, and social media friends. How many can you name? For most, it would take a great deal of time. Now think about your enemies. I suspect that most would have a short list. But who is your enemy? When Jesus talked about “loving your neighbor” and “greeting only your brothers,” he seems to imply that our “enemies” are those who are different from us. For the Jews, those who were different were the Gentiles (non-Jews). With this understanding, does your enemy list grow? The rancor of politics this year in our nation has many Americans and even many Christians looking at each other as if they are enemies. Even if you are convinced of that, Jesus gives instructions here on how to treat them. Jesus calls on us to love those who are different. How do we do that? Jesus tells us God always gives his best. He goes beyond the expected. Jesus even tells us, as the Message puts it, “any run-of-the-mill sinner” simply greets others hello. Jesus tells us to live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward us. Think about how that will look in your comings and goings today and make an effort to generously and graciously love those who are different.
Personal Worship Option:
Pray that God will direct you toward those who are different today instead of away. Look for a way to extend God’s generous and gracious love. You might pay for a meal, carry the newspaper to the front door, actively listen, restrain from negatively responding, or do some other kind of random act of kindness.
No comments:
Post a Comment