2 John and 3 John
January 4, 2015

Again today John is speaking about love.  All the Apostles speak of the importance of love, but with John is seems to be his key message.   In his Gospel he says "for God so LOVED the world..." and he often refers to himself as the "one Jesus loved".   I don't think he intended to say that God loved him more or differently than others, only that he WAS loved, and that makes all the difference.

You are loved.  God loves you.

If I am loved, then I have the right to assume certain things.  I expect that the person who loves me will listen to me, care about my needs and go further than most others to help me out.   It's fair to assume that the person who loves me finds me interesting, and wants to hear from me.  In fact, when I am in love I am willing to listen to even humdrum conversation and be happy about it.    I can sit and look at the person who I am in love with and say nothing.   I can be content simply to be in their company.

Jesus loves you.  You are loved.                Just knowing that should make your prayer life different.

In fact, Jesus loves everyone.  Even when they are misbehaving.  That's good, because sometimes I misbehave.  God never fails to love me.   He doesn't always approve of what I do, and He often has to tell me to "straighten up", but He always loves me.

I can choose not to love God, but He has already chosen to love me and will not change.    This fact will not alter my eternal destiny, I must confess my sins and allow Him to guide me or I will perish in hell forever.   I look at it like this:  I tell my children not to touch the hot stove and to look both ways before they cross the street.   If they choose not to obey, I still love them....but I cannot guarantee that they won't suffer terrible consequences for their actions.

In this same way, I am instructed by John to love others.   We are to love them unconditionally, and put up with their idiosyncrasies and occasional outbursts.   Telling us to love one another was the most important thing that John could think to relay.   In some small way I begin to understand why.   If we truly love one another in the same way that Jesus loves us, we won't take advantage of each other, we won't try to harm each other, and we will sacrifice to work together and see the Gospel advanced  (simply because we love God and each other).

Love for others is truly at the heart of Christianity.  God is love, and those who profess to be His children must love as He loved.


PR