Love - VIII

As we have mentioned quite a bit recently, God has designed people to give and receive love. Love is an essential ingredient to what it means to be a human being.

God also designed love. He designed its motivations, its actions, its reactions and its effects. The goal of everything God said through the prophets, the apostles and Jesus is love. Obeying his commands is love.

Obeying his command is the love of God. Obeying his commands is the love of people. It may not seem like it always. The outcome of love may seem harsh. The outcome of obedience may seem self-centered to some people.

It may seem harsh to confront someone about the evil in their life. But evil has consequences. It has consequences in the person’s life – present and eternal. It has consequences in relationships and inner health. It is love to want to help someone avoid these consequences.

Sometimes people take steps to avoid those consequences. But the steps they often take remove them from having any effect on those around them. The Pharisees sought to avoid any contact with sin. They were aware of its corrupting influence. That’s why it is compared with yeast.

But was Jesus unaware of sin’s corrupting influence. Yet, he ate with tax collectors and sinners. He walked well within range of that corrupting influence (without being corrupted) in order to exert the healing influence of love.