Way of Love (Part 2)
Way of Love (Part 2)
by Pastor Steve Womack
Matthew 22:39 - A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Way of Love (Part 2)
by Pastor Steve Womack
Matthew 22:39 - A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Moving forward from the foundations of love, deeply understanding that the message of love is from cover to cover in the Word, I would like to home in on what the Word teaches us on “expressing love to others.” It is the continual character of God that is beginning to bloom on the branches of our life to spread to others. It is so important. We can look at it as even a test. In fact, we prove our allegiance to God fully when we can LOVE Him and even others despite any obstacles. It is not something that comes naturally, but supernatural; produced by the Spirit of God within us.
Furthermore, we cannot even produce the discipline of fulfilling the “Golden Rule” without Him, that being the Spirit of God within us to help our weakness. Look at these verses, Matthew 22:37-39 - Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Because of our flesh, world, and darkness we cannot do this ourselves. However, that is exactly the way God desires us to live life. Laying down the way we feel, responding in love for everyone.
In addition, Jesus takes it a step further and said Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends (John 15:13). For many that might seem ok in their mind, some even have done it, but he continues as we will see telling us to even love those who hate us. In Matthew 5:43-46 Jesus teaches us telling us not to love only those who love us that even tax collectors do that, but to love our enemies. LOVE for those who our flesh is more prone to hate, even as an enemy, is an act of obedience to the Lord. Such as Stephen in the books of Acts chapter 7. While he was being stoned to death in obedience to the Lord, He cried to the Lord to forgive his attackers.
Furthermore, Jesus looks at the expression of His LOVE through us to others as an act of LOVE to Himself. Matthew 25:31-46 it explains that at the end of the age when the Son of Man comes in His glory. He will separate people to the left and the right as a Shepherd separates sheep and goats. The one on the right the He says took care of Him while he was hungry, thirsty, homeless, and needing clothes. It says the righteous will say when did we see you like this? Jesus respond’s and says in verse 40 “ I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Consequently, when we first started out in ministry in 2012 feeling in my heart, we were called to our downtown community to reach the lost, especially at time to those who were homeless and broken. I was encouraged to take a look at an abandoned café one afternoon to maybe use as an outreach center. While looking at the abandoned building a homeless man walked up to me. After a few minutes of small talk I asked if I could pray with Him. He bowed his head, and I put my hand on his shoulder and as soon as I said Jesus the Glory of God hit us both right there on the sidewalk, it was powerful and tangible. He looked up to me and said “oohhh” …I agree. Later that night in prayer, conversing with the Lord, I heard Him whisper within in my heart and say this, “When you prayed for that man you were praying for Me.” That experience taught me that He still looks at our interaction with people, such as Love, as to Him directly.
In summary, we need to love the Lord yes, but others as well. It’s to our benefit, there probably even is a reward for doing so according to Matthew 5. And besides, when we love those who are maybe not so lovely we are acting like sheep on His right and not goats on His left. When we do we are loving Him, the One, who loves us dearly.
DAILY READING
1 John 4:7-21