DID JESUS SET LIMITS ON OUR LOVE?
I find it strange that those who take the Bible literally, find it so hard to accept those who are “different” from themselves. In the Prophets we are told to be kind to the strangers living in our mists, Jesus told us to love one another as He loves us, Paul speaks of being one body under Christ. This to me implies that we are a people with out borders, without conflicts and most assuredly, without boundaries or limitations in the capacity of Brotherly love.
I was reading Malachi 3:5; “Then I will draw near to you for judgement. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers, against those who swear falsely,against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages,the widow and the fatherless,against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear Me, says the LORD [Yahweh] of Hosts.”
To me this is a clear mandate for us to treat everyone with fairness and brotherly love. There is no limitations to the ability to love the homeless,the immigrant, the children fleeing from violence and parentlessness. Especially those who are refuges from wars, civil wars,and criminal oppression. Yet to many of those who say “I know Jesus” have not expressed any desire to reach out in love support fair wages for migrant workers, for single parents for just about anyone in need. Jesus also said, “as you do for the least of mine,you do for Me.” Yet is is to easy to walk by the very people we should be reaching out to.
There should be NO boundaries in our desire to love,to justly help, to even pray for every one who is suffering from any form of oppression. The LORD goes on to say in Malachi, “Your words have been hard against me….You have said it is vain to serve God….Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.” And, “Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked,between one who serves God and the one who does not serve Him.” (Malachi 3:13,15,18)
We cannot just sit back and wait for God to tell us to do Right and to seek Justice. We are to be the forerunners of His grace by reaching out every time,in every way possible to NOT put God to the test. Test instead the spirit that says, “Send the refuges back,cheat the workers, cut the health benefits for the veterans,the elderly, the children.” Test them ans see that they are not of God, for God said Love one another as I have loved you. 1 John 4:9-12 is the cornerstone of the love we should have for everyone. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us,that God sent His only Son into the world, so we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He has loved us and sent his only Son to be the propitiation [to be rendered atonement] for our sins. Behold,if God so loved us,we ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.”
It goes to say then, in my mind, if you do not love one another, the maybe God doesn’t abide in you. “If anyone says ‘I love God.’ and hates his brother,he is a liar; for he who hates his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:20,21 So then who is my brother? Every man woman and child created by God. Who then are the kinsmen of Christ? All who have called upon Him and repented. Does this include immigrants, refugees, single mothers, elderly who are non-believer? Yes! It include all who have not yet know Christ because through us they may be shown Christ. But most importantly, it includes those who are of Christ,because failing to see to them in love is to fail to love God.
Blessed are those who are peacemakers, who see tot he needs of others before themselves, who give unselfishly to the causes that restore others. Blessed are those who show their love of God with works of kindness. Are you to counted among them? So to the Question if there should be boundaries, the answer is absolutely not! Let there be no limit to the love we have for everyone, let no spirit blind or bind you into rejecting love for or from anyone.