By Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
Even though He was rejected, even though He was ridiculed and blasphemed, even though He was mistreated and misunderstood, even though He was betrayed and beaten, Jesus still died for you! “Greater love has no one than this, then to lay down one’s life for their friends,” He told His disciples on the way to Gethsemane, and then He did just that! How great is God’s love! Can we ever even come close to that? No, but He expects us to try. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Even more so, our love isn’t meant to be only for our friends as He stressed to His disciples. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Really, our neighbors? Even though they don’t weed their garden, even though they are busybodies, even though they didn’t return your power tools, even though they cut you off on the highway, even though they don’t look like you (thankfully), even though they don’t go to church, even though … you shall love your neighbor as yourself! When you truly grasp His awesome love for you personally, when you allow His uncomprehending love to flow through you, loving your neighbor is no longer a daunting task. You don’t have to like someone to love them. You only need to willingly obey His commandment and before you know it, you will find yourself really liking loving