“This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.” 1 John 3:16-17 The Message
What John seems to be saying here is that love just makes sense, way more sense than hatred, at least from the point of view of someone who follows Christ as King. After all, Christ sacrificed HIS LIFE for us. And in that, we experienced love, truly discovered a love unlike any other love. When we grasp even the hem of such flowing love, how could we help but also live sacrificially? What else would we do but sacrifice for our brothers and sisters in Christ? (And elsewhere, sacrifice for those who aren’t in Christ, since, after all, that is what our Lord did?)
This is where we start to get uneasy. “What do you mean by that, Elizabeth?” Might as well ask the Holy Spirit what God means by that. I didn’t say it, He did. This is where the gospel gets a little uncomfortable, very offensive. I think, “I mean what I says and I says what I mean” (to quote ??? who was that Popeye?) applies here.
Do you know a brother or sister in need? What is their need? How can you show them the love of Christ in the midst of this need? Give them money? Possibly. Help them move? Maybe. Bring them a meal? Sure. Watch their cat while they vacation in Europe? (Well, that may be going a little too far:).
Love makes sense. We do what makes sense when we get our eyes off ourselves and on our brothers and sisters.
