Love Who?

S - Luke 6:27-36 (NLT): ""But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.  Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do for others as you would like them to do for you. "Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that!  And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return. "Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."

O - People gathered around Jesus for lots of reasons and one of them was his teaching.  In this setting, he calls for a willingness to listen and then the very first thing he says is "love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.“ This is the very first expression of Jesus' teaching on love for others that Luke's gospel records.  Why not start with love your parents or siblings or life's partner or the very famous love your neighbor (assuming of course your neighbor is not your enemy)?  Shouldn't we start at something "easier" and then work ourselves up to the most difficult … you know learn to crawl before walking and then walk before running?  While that type of progression maybe a protocol for other kingdom activities (wisdom, stature, favor with God), Jesus will have none of it in the arena of love.  Love is not amorphous, rare nor defying exact parameters.  While its expressions are limitless its root and focus are singularly defined.  Its root is God (God is love) and its focus is all others - all is inclusive with no exceptions. Apparently God and love are not only connected in definition but in all expressions (even human to human) planet earth holds.  Our capacity to love and be loved is from God, in God and will require his direct involvement for love to be what it actually is.  Anything less may be a good thing but it will not and cannot be love.

A - Certainly love engages my will … but it insists on engaging it fully and indiscriminately.  While my expression of love can (and even should) vary from person to person and setting to setting the presence, actions and purpose of love are to be universal and unequivocal.  This is a bit overwhelming but so is God:).  Jesus calls me to believe and align my will with his.  To be "ready" to act on a moment’s notice as well as with deliberate and well thought out activities.  The parameters of love set out in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 will help me assess my current state of love readiness and activity.  While requiring my will it also requires my God.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NLT):"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever … ."

P - Dear Lord God Almighty who is love,
Thank you for your relentless love, defiant mercy and unflickering forgiveness. Lord, I engage your love, forgiveness and mercy as I consider my own 'listening' and frequent failures to love.  Lord, admitting this is not my attempt to explain or justify but to rectify my life in welcoming YOU to accomplish this in and through me.  You dignify my life with the capacity to choose and so as this day begins for me I choose you, I choose love, I choose your will and kingdom because you have loved me first and most and refused to change your mind.  I choose to give the way I've received … and this includes and requires your activity in and through me if there is to be any hope of accomplishment.  Lord, however all this works I pray that it/you would work in and through me. 
In them,
Steve