As with most families, we all have history, baggage, secrets, opened wounds and many disappointments. In dealing with an opend wound that only God can heal, I prayed for God's help and undrestanding. Here's what I read today and thought to share with you:
Matthew Chapter 5
Matthew Chapter 5
You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I always took the lines 'he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous' to mean that God deals with the 'good' in one way (the sun) and the 'bad' in another (the rain). That somehow sunshine is good and rain is bad. Or God is good to one and not the other. That's not what this scripture is saying to me today. Read the next line: 'If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?'
This is what I understand: God does not pour out is love, providence, grace and mercy only on the elect, His children; He soverignly deals with the believer and the non-believer in gracious acts of love. Therefore, should we not love those we hate? Or those who don't deserve it? (the unrighteous, the evil). God does. Jesus did not come to heal the healthy. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. He forgave the ones who nailed him to the cross while hanging from it. He did what I so often can not; love those who at their worst are totally and completely 'unloveable'.
I always took the lines 'he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous' to mean that God deals with the 'good' in one way (the sun) and the 'bad' in another (the rain). That somehow sunshine is good and rain is bad. Or God is good to one and not the other. That's not what this scripture is saying to me today. Read the next line: 'If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?'
This is what I understand: God does not pour out is love, providence, grace and mercy only on the elect, His children; He soverignly deals with the believer and the non-believer in gracious acts of love. Therefore, should we not love those we hate? Or those who don't deserve it? (the unrighteous, the evil). God does. Jesus did not come to heal the healthy. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. He forgave the ones who nailed him to the cross while hanging from it. He did what I so often can not; love those who at their worst are totally and completely 'unloveable'.
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