part 2 of “Eyes Up”
“...where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord...
Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
Last week, we started a new series called “Eyes Up”. In this series of posts, we are going to be leaning to the verses above and looking at some things that we need help with if we are to do them as Jesus would have us. The first one of the series that I want to talk about is something I feel is very lacking in the world and really needs to be figured out soon.
LOVE.
There are not enough people willing to just love in the world. I have to say that when we look at the actions of people in this world and the different things that break our hearts, we ask the same question; where is the Love? There is fighting, war, murder, and other threats all over the news and in the media. We don’t have to look very far to find that this world is lacking love. That is the one thing that I’m sure we all can agree on. So, where is the love? How does this change? What can we do?
EYES UP! We need to look up. We need to find the best model for love that we can find – JESUS.
We need to look and see what Jesus did. We need to look to see how Jesus showed love. We see Jesus showing this awesome kind of love all over in the Gospels. We see Him go out of His way to talk to a lonely lady at well in John 4. Jesus takes sides with a woman that a group of people wanted to stone because she was caught in the act of adultery in John 8. When Jesus starts calling His disciples, he starts with fishermen[1] who probably did not have the best people skills in the world because they spent all their time on the fishing boats. They probably cussed like sailors too. But Jesus still called them to be in His inner circle.
In Matthew 9, Jesus also walked right up to Matthew at his tax collecting booth and told him to “Follow me.” A tax collector! Who was a crook!
The people of the town responded as we do sometimes “why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”[2] Why do you associate with her? Why do you hang around him? What are you doing? They are sinners don’t you know! Then Jesus gives us an answer.
“When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.’” (Matthew 9:12-13, NLT)
Those two verses speak volumes to what Jesus was about. He wanted to come help the people who needed help. He did not come for those who think they have it all together. Jesus put Himself right where He needed to be to have the most impact and He used the most powerful thing He could use…. no not mind control. He used love. Pure and unconditional love. Jesus would later sum up His mission in the following verses:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)
My home church boiled this down into just 4 words. Love God and Love People. If you love God and love people you will essentially fulfill the commandments of God.
This is what Jesus is calling us to do. If you look at the Gospels, Jesus was always showing love…. to everyone! So if you are like me and need some help with this idea of radical Jesus kind of love – EYES UP!
I want to leave you with this list that was written by Paul and I believe that he wrote these words from hearing and reading about the actions of Jesus.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.[3]
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[1] Luke 5
[2] Matthew 9:11, NIV
[3] 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, The Message
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