(Jesus said) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."[John 13:34-35]
When I was very young, my mother and father told me that I should love everybody.
That's why, when Valentine's Day rolled around, they made sure I had a card to give to everybody in my class. When we had a birthday party, the entire room had to be invited. I was supposed to love everyone. I was even to love the person who gave me socks and underwear for Christmas. Love everybody? Well, I've tried, but it's almost impossible to do.
That's because some people rub me the wrong way.
I can almost hear you thinking, "I wonder who is on his list?"
I'll tell you. I find it hard to love the young person who drives down my street in the boom box that he calls an automobile. His stereo is always on, and it is slightly louder than the vehicles at a monster truck rally.
I'm not too keen on the guy who, ignoring the signs which say "Road Construction Ahead," races down the lane which is going to be closed and then expects someone to let him in.
I don't love sales people who, after I've politely told them, "I don't need any help," continue to shadow me like a hungry leopard might stalk an antelope.
I don't love the humorists who have confused cursing and crudeness with comedy.
I don't love the pro athlete who spits in the face of an ump or goes after a fan in the stands with fists a-swingin'. I don't love the advertisers who broadcast their commercials ten times louder than the program I'm watching.
No, I don't love everybody -- and you don't either. Almost nobody loves everybody.
Almost.
You see, there is an exception to that rule. That exception is Jesus.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, the Savior of the world, managed to love everyone. I don't know how, but He did. Think for a moment of what that meant. He loved the Pharisees who tried to trick Him, and Herod, the King, who killed babies in an attempt to eliminate any competition.
Jesus loved the priests who refused to identify Him as the Savior, and He loved the crowds who wanted to be healed and fed, but had little use for salvation. Jesus loved the disciples who slept when He needed them, and He loved Judas who betrayed Him with a kiss.
Jesus loved the Roman Procurator who decided to save his hide rather than dispense justice. Jesus loved the men who whipped Him, who spit on Him, who nailed Him to the cross.
And Jesus loved us, which is reason and example enough for us to try and do the same.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that Jesus, in spite of my many sins, has continued to love me. May I follow His example and do all I can to love everyone -- especially those I consider to be most unlovable. In the Savior's Name I ask it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Psalms 149-150; 1 Corinthians 5Psalms 149:1 Halleluyah!
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
That's why, when Valentine's Day rolled around, they made sure I had a card to give to everybody in my class. When we had a birthday party, the entire room had to be invited. I was supposed to love everyone. I was even to love the person who gave me socks and underwear for Christmas. Love everybody? Well, I've tried, but it's almost impossible to do.
That's because some people rub me the wrong way.
I can almost hear you thinking, "I wonder who is on his list?"
I'll tell you. I find it hard to love the young person who drives down my street in the boom box that he calls an automobile. His stereo is always on, and it is slightly louder than the vehicles at a monster truck rally.
I'm not too keen on the guy who, ignoring the signs which say "Road Construction Ahead," races down the lane which is going to be closed and then expects someone to let him in.
I don't love sales people who, after I've politely told them, "I don't need any help," continue to shadow me like a hungry leopard might stalk an antelope.
I don't love the humorists who have confused cursing and crudeness with comedy.
I don't love the pro athlete who spits in the face of an ump or goes after a fan in the stands with fists a-swingin'. I don't love the advertisers who broadcast their commercials ten times louder than the program I'm watching.
No, I don't love everybody -- and you don't either. Almost nobody loves everybody.
Almost.
You see, there is an exception to that rule. That exception is Jesus.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, the Savior of the world, managed to love everyone. I don't know how, but He did. Think for a moment of what that meant. He loved the Pharisees who tried to trick Him, and Herod, the King, who killed babies in an attempt to eliminate any competition.
Jesus loved the priests who refused to identify Him as the Savior, and He loved the crowds who wanted to be healed and fed, but had little use for salvation. Jesus loved the disciples who slept when He needed them, and He loved Judas who betrayed Him with a kiss.
Jesus loved the Roman Procurator who decided to save his hide rather than dispense justice. Jesus loved the men who whipped Him, who spit on Him, who nailed Him to the cross.
And Jesus loved us, which is reason and example enough for us to try and do the same.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that Jesus, in spite of my many sins, has continued to love me. May I follow His example and do all I can to love everyone -- especially those I consider to be most unlovable. In the Savior's Name I ask it. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Psalms 149-150; 1 Corinthians 5Psalms 149:1 Halleluyah!
Sing to Adonai a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Isra’el rejoice in their maker,
let Tziyon’s children take joy in their king.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
make melody to him with tambourine and lyre;
4 for Adonai takes delight in his people,
he crowns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the faithful exult gloriously,
let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats,
but a two-edged sword in their hands
7 to carry out vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains
and put their nobles in irons,
9 to execute the judgments decreed for them;
for this will glorify all his faithful.
Halleluyah!
150:1 Halleluyah!
Praise God in his holy place!
Praise him in the heavenly dome of his power!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds!
Praise him for his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast on the shofar!
Praise him with lute and lyre!
4 Praise him with tambourines and dancing!
Praise him with flutes and strings!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals!
Praise him with loud crashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise Adonai!
Halleluyah!
1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually being reported that there is sexual sin among you, and it is sexual sin of a kind that is condemned even by pagans — a man is living with his stepmother! 2 And you stay proud? Shouldn’t you rather have felt some sadness that would have led you to remove from your company the man who has done this thing? 3 For I myself, even though I am absent physically, am with you spiritually; and I have already judged the man who has done this as if I were present. 4 In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us, 5 hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know the saying, “It takes only a little hametz to leaven a whole batch of dough?” 7 Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. 8 So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.
9 In my earlier letter I wrote you not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality. 10 I didn’t mean the sexually immoral people outside your community, or the greedy, or the thieves or the idol-worshippers — for then you would have to leave the world altogether! 11 No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn’t even eat! 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn’t it those who are part of the community that you should be judging? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves.[
1 Corinthians 5:13 Deuteronomy 13:6(5); 17:7,12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21, 24; 24:7]
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CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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