20/20 Online Bible Study Scripture and Meditation 6

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

By Betsi Moise

Leviticus 19:16-19:

You shall not go up and down as a dispenser of gossip and scandal among your people, nor shall you [secure yourself by false testimony or by silence and] endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart; but you shall surely rebuke your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
You shall not take revenge or bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

God is Love, and He loves us.

Shepherd Carrying SheepThe images that permeate scripture of the Good Shepherd, fighting off beasts, and climbing treacherous slopes to find the lost sheep, the one that is stuck, the obstinate one. He picks up the sheep and carries it safely home. Once the sheep is returned to the fold, He lies over the gate when they need rest so no one can harm His flock. He Loves. We know that.

prodsonOr the image of God the Father, keeping a 24/7 vigil, eyes peeled toward the horizon, looking for the return of the lost child- picking up His skirts and running down to greet his beloved with welcoming hugs and kisses. Giving the child who returned to Him the keys to the kingdom. Not caring about the road the child had taken, but rejoicing they chose to return home. He Loves. We know that.

God watched – and with unspeakable suffering in His heart – watched as He placed His own son in harm’s way, where He experienced the fullness of evil, agony and shame. His own child. Beaten, bloodied, spat upon and killed. Why? So we would be redeemed by Jesus’ blood and saved by His sacrifice. Nothing we deserved nothing we will ever repay. He Loves. We know that.

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HOW DO WE LOVE HIM?

The most accurate way to answer that question is how do we treat others?

People judge Christians by what they see – what is the Love we are exhibiting?

How we treat others has been a concern to God from the beginning.  He wants us to love others the way He loves us! Reflect upon the verses in Leviticus, written a few thousand years ago – the lesson is the same today: To Love others the way God Loves Us.

That is how we glorify God and exhibit His Kingdom on earth.  May it be so in this generation of believers!