Leviticus 19:18, Luke 10:25-27
Loving Others as God calls us will always challenge and stretch us beyond our comfort zone. Yet, it does not mean that we don’t hold others accountable. In fact, love requires us to help others grow in faith and strength. Love for others will be hard work.
Love, as the Bible uses it is the ‘means’ to give God glory. Last week, I used the phrase “means of Grace” and we have many ways of expressing our love for God and allowing God’s love, his grace, to be expressed through us in the means of grace. Love is the highest value of righteousness and justice, it is an eternal commitment made by God on our behalf. Love is accountable – God made a covenant (a contract) with Moses to be their God and we would be his people. The parent/child relationship is always one full of accountability, at least it should, or children never learn boundaries, respect, or have a moral foundation. I think of Ruth and her love for her Mother-in-Law, Naomi. Love is risky.
“Charity begins at home but should not end there.” Thomas Fuller
Let us gather our gifts together and offer them to God in gratitude and praise.