Crazy Enough

The Commandment to Love

Somewhere in time, Approximately AD 60-65, the disciple Matthew wrote what we now know as the gospel of Matthew.   Last year, Mercy Me put out an CD titled “The Generous Mr. Lovewell”.  I hope you are wondering what the two have in common, well both have a section that tells us to love.

Let me give you Matthew Chapter 6:47 from the Message Bible. “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love you friend’, and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that.  I’m telling you to love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.  When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God created selves.  This is what God does.  He gives his best – the sun to warm and the rain to nourish – to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty.  If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus?  Anybody can do that.  If you simply say hello to those who great you, do you expect a medal?  Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.  In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow-up.  You’re kingdom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God-created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

I like the Message Bible for a different presentation of familiar scriptures.  I especially like that it tells us to grow-up.  This particular passage, I have read this many times and I always kind of by passed it.  I do not hate anyone, so I am doing well.  I assumed, but lately I have really started to think about this.  Is indifference a form of hate?  I don’t know, but I can assure you it is not love.  While I did not hate anyone, I was indifferent to quite a few and that is not love either.

At work, I had to come up with a song that I could share with the group. I think they were trying to build morale.  I had just purchased the Mercy Me CD, “The Generous Mr. Lovewell”, so I picked a song from there.  The words below are the lyrics from that song.

 Crazy Enough

Call me crazy.

But what if we learned to love our brother for nothing in return.

Oh how the rules would change. 

Reaching out to the ones who need help. 

Treating them as you first would treat yourself.

Now that would be insane.

It may just be crazy enough  to work if we could only love.

What if we somehow changed the world?

It may just be crazy enough.

It is so strange to think that one day we will truly see everyone the same.

Oh, could we be so kind.

To sing along when life’s playing their tune.

And cry with them when their heart’s broken in two.

Have I lost my mind?

It may be just crazy enough to work if we could only love.

What if we somehow changed the world?

It may just be crazy enough.

Oh, have I gone mad believing that love still has a chance?

It may just be crazy enough.

It is amazing to me how God can use a song to send me a message.  This helped me change my perspective.    If every Christian, chose to love as Christ loves maybe there is still hope for us to change the world. Something else I read helped me to understand just how important it is to God that we love others, not just the ones that love us. 

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) “Jesus replied, 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 you neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

All the Law and the Prophets, everything we consider a rule or a commandment can be handled, just by truly loving. In my Christian life, if I just concentrate on loving God first and then loving others, everything else will fall into place.

My assignement for myself and everyone willing to take the challenge.  Find someone that really is not loveable and reach out to them in love.  It may just be crazy enough.

http://youtu.be/LfmNKmB-Ap8