1 John 3:16-20
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
16 This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love:
Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially
for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. MSG
One of my favorite movies is Blind Side. It’s the
story of a wealthy white couple that adopts an adolescent black boy who is from
a very poor background. Although he eventually played in the National Football
League, before being befriended by this family, his odds of ever overcoming his
life circumstances were virtually zero.
The adoptive family went out of their way to help this
young man who was homeless, by first providing him a place to stay for the
night and eventually adopting him as a part of the family. The bottom line was
that someone noticed him, believed in him, loved him and sacrificed for him.
Jesus spoke about this kind of love when he said, “love
your neighbor as yourself”. He
then explained through the story of the Good
Samaritan, that our “neighbor” is defined as anyone in need that we are aware
of. He doesn’t give us any disclaimers to justify excluding anyone.
Matthew 25:31-46
18-20 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s
practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living, truly living,
in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism,
even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts
and knows more about us than we do ourselves. MSG
Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The
mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song
still in them." How depressing; but when you show love to another person,
you are affirming their dignity; their value; their purpose for living, and at
the same time affirming your own.
What would you be willing to sacrifice for a homeless
adolescent? For someone leading a life of quiet desperation? For the guy who
cut you off in traffic? For the person who stepped over you to get the
promotion instead of you? For the prostitute on the street? For the sexual
offender in your neighborhood?
Who is your neighbor?
Other passages that relate to this topic of sacrificial love:
Romans 5:7
John 10:11-12 Matthew 25:31-46
(If
God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link
with others.)
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