Do not even the publicans do the same?
October 9, 2019 (Bible Devotional)
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? — Matthew 5:46
If you love them which love you
The Bible reveals that God is love. Those that look forward to keeping the commandments of God must also reflect His character. The law is summarized by the word love. We are to love God. And we are to love each other. The ladder of the Christian journey is developed from faith to love.
God commands us to live peaceably with all men. We are to love all. We should seek the benefit of every creature of God. No animosity or hatred should live in the heart of the Christian. We should desire the good of everyone. We should not even despise those who mistreat us.
Jesus teaches that we should love our enemies. And pray for those who despitefully use us. This is a hard saying. In the eyes of man, it is impossible, but with Christ everything is possible. It is very easy to love those who love us, but love is not a quid pro quo. The unlovable and rejected of this world need our caring and loving attention.
What is a reward?
If we simply love those who love us, we are not the followers of Jesus. Because it is easy to do so. We need to learn how to love according to the Bible. Love is patient. We need a patient that can endure mocking and misrepresentations. Like Jesus, we need to go about and do good.
Christ calls us to be wise as a serpent. Simply because we love everyone, does not imply that we should put ourselves in harm’s way. We love, but we do not enable sinful behaviors. We do not sanction hatred.
We do not sanction abuse. We did not sanction terror.
We would love to see those who practice evil repent and enjoy the bountiful blessings of God. This is the love of which we speak. It is a love that is interested in the eternal good of mankind. This love does not see men as they currently are, but what they could be in Christ.
Even the publicans do the same
The publicans and sinners love those not love them. But Christ calls us to go further than this relation. We must learn how to love all. Even though it is hard, God can enable us to that end.
We need a love that is not provoked easily. We need a love that does not think evil. We need a love that does not rejoice in iniquity. We need a love that bears, hopes, and believes all things. We need a love that will never fail. This love is only possible for those who abide in Christ.
