Skip to main content

Love

 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (I Peter 4:8-9)

          Because God loved us, Jesus died so that our sins could be covered over by His love. We are forgiven because of love. In fact, love is impossible without forgiveness. So, back in the Garden of Eden when the serpent told Adam and Eve they would be “like the Most High”? They sinned with that goal in mind.

          Today, we still like the idea of being like the Most High – except we want to be like Him in all the ways that are not like Him. We want to stand in judgment, not love in a way that covers a multitude of sins. We want to fix things, but in a way that involves either no one paying the price or the other guy doing so. We want to be like God, in the same way that Satan is “like God.” And it’s not entirely our fault – we’ve been taught that God is like Satan’s representation of God.

          I’m not saying that our love for one another should remove all consequences of sin (at least for the sinner.) All I’m saying is that our love should be great enough to be bigger than the sin.

          The second topic of today’s passage is the offering of hospitality. It reminds me of the passages in Job in which Satan shows up in Heaven. Did you know Satan could show up in Heaven? That he could do so without being arrested, detained, beaten, or destroyed? God didn’t strike him with a lightning bolt. What He did was probably worse. He treated him like the rest of the angels. “Where have you been? What have you seen? Did you notice my servant Job?”

          How infuriating! Satan’s whole bit was the desire to be like the Most High. At the very least, he should be treated as public enemy number one. God should treat him like an enemy, like a threat of some sort, but “Where have you been? What have you seen? Did you notice my servant Job?” God was hospitable. There will come a day when judgments are meted out, but until that day, God seems to be wearing His cook’s apron, not His judge’s robes.

          That’s how we’re supposed to be. If someone comes to us, we’re to welcome them, treat them with hospitality. Leave the judgments and consequences to God. Our love is to be bigger than their sin.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more