Are we truly known by our love by everyone?

 Read Luke 6:27-28

God loves you. Love one another. How easily do the words roll off our lips now, but do we mean it? Do we really mean love one another? C’mon, there’s some bad people out there

It’s the Sunday following Resurrection Sunday. The faithful are here. Many that were here last week we might not see for a while.

We remembered Jesus the way he told us to remember him and then we had a big celebration. Now, it’s a week later and we are back to putting the words of Jesus into practice.

But to get back on course, we get a major course correction.

Love God. Got it. I’m in.

Lone one another. Yep. Good to go. Let’s do this.

Love your enemies. There’s always a catch, isn’t there.

So, if we can do the Bible math, we get our most straightforward answer of answers.  It’s love, love, and more love for the one who truly wants to set aside the gods of this world and seek the one true God.

Love God, and love each other, and that includes those who we don’t like or who don’t like us or who might be on the other side of the world saying bad things about us.

Love the person who if they could would be outside your front yard with an RPG ready to make your day. Chances are, those who might call you an enemy won’t ever show up on your doorstep, but they would still love to do you harm.

Love everyone made in the image of God.

Let’s put it this way. Many of the people who rejoiced at Saul’s conversion were the same people he had persecuted.

Some of those people were dead. Then realize they were on Saul’s welcoming committee in heaven. Now, that’s some words into practice right there. Now, that’s some known as his disciples by your love right there.

We are defined as a people by our love. God loves us and we love others so much so that people know that we belong to God by that love.

We are defined as a people by our love

In the days of Abraham, the sign of circumcision was given to indicate the men among God’s Chosen People. Today, we have a sign in the spirit.  God’s Spirit lives within us.

God not only told us to love him and each other—everyone—he lives within us to help us do just that.

The default setting for the Christian must be love. Yes, we are:

·       Wise

·       Discerning

·       Generous

·       Faithful in a few things

·       Ready to serve our Lord in many things

·       Good stewards of our time, talent, and treasures

·       People who speak the truth in love

·       People who desire to please our Lord

·       People who long to hear Well done good and faithful servant from our Master

·       People who know some scripture and have much of it written on their hearts.

But our nature above every nature that tries to dwell within us is love.  God is love. We are to be known as his disciples by our love. It must be love that governs if Jesus is really the Lord of our lives.

That includes those whom we don’t like. That includes those who don’t really know us. That includes people who would just as soon that we get hit by a meteor or by lightning than receive our daily bread.

But we are called to love them.

And we can’t do it, at least not on our own.  We must submit to the spirit of God that resides within us to be able to love those who seem unlovable to us.

So the question of the day is:  Do we love God enough to love those who don’t love us and we would like to go on hating?

This is trust God over our own understanding once again.

This is putting what God has given me to work to produce a good return in this case that return is love for others.

This is the pastor gets off easy day.  Preach love, love, and more love. It’s for everyone made in the image of God. It must be love.

Love everyone.

Amen.