"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:46-48 (NIV)It is natural and effortless to love those who already love us in return. Even tax collectors and pagans manage that much, Jesus points out, so loving only those who are easy to love earns no special reward. What sets Christ's followers apart is a love that extends beyond comfort and reciprocity, a love that pursues the unlovable and unlovely without condition. This kind of love is not measured in degrees, as though God reserves more affection for some and less for others. Its only real limitation lies within the capacity of our own hearts, both to receive God's love freely and to extend it freely to others, especially those who have wronged us or given us little reason to care for them.
Genuine love is committed unconditionally to the wellbeing, peace, growth, and happiness of the person loved, regardless of what they offer in return. This is exactly how Christ loved us. We were unlovely in our sin, unpleasant before God, yet He loved us anyway and gave everything to redeem us. If we truly believe in the love revealed through Jesus, that belief must translate into practice, extended toward both the lovable and the unlovable people in our lives. As we use our gifts to serve others, let this unconditional love be the foundation beneath every act of service. Loving those who are difficult to love is one of the most powerful demonstrations of genuine Christianity the world will ever witness, because actions speak far louder than words ever could.
Lord, teach me to love as You loved me, unconditionally and without regard for what I receive in return. Give me the strength to extend genuine love to those who are difficult to love. Let my life demonstrate the reality of Your love to a watching world. Amen.