Loving Others is Loving God

Matthew 25:40 (NRSV): Loving Others is Loving God

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

“Daddy, do you love God more than me?” my daughter asked one night when I tucked her into bed. She got quiet and waited for my honest answer.

“Honey, Daddy loves you more than anything in this world. You are my sweetheart, and I don’t know of anyone I could love more than you, your brothers, and your mother,” I said with a short pause. Then nervously, I continued, “But, Honey, there is no way that I could love you this much if God did not first love us. You see, God gives us the special gift to love because He is Love Itself. So in a way, Sweetie, I have to love God first, so that I am made strong enough to love you as much as I do, which is more than anything ever.”

“I love you, too, Daddy. Goodnight,” she replied through a half-yawn as she drifted off to sleep satisfied with my answer.

How do we explain our love for God to the ones we love the most? Children have a natural curiosity. As a result, they ask probing questions. And although we try to be honest, sometimes words fall short.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the story about the final judgment. And it is clear in Matthew 25:31-46 that we will be judged based on our love for others. Jesus asks a life-changing question: How do we treat the “least of these”? Historically, the Matthean community was concerned with suffering Christians, but today this text points to all of God’s children. How do we love those we encounter, especially those we serve in our most intimate relationships? The degree to which we love those around us is the degree to which we love God. In giving ourselves away to others, therefore, we give ourselves to God. And to define who “others” are, we need only to begin looking in our closest circles. For me, it starts with my wife and children. Who is it for you?

Heavenly Father, please let us love others as You love us. Grant us the grace to love those closest to us with an unending, unbridled love and to radiate Your love to all we encounter. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Investing God's Love in All We Do

Matthew 25:21 (GNT): Investing God’s Love in All We Do

“Well done, you good and faithful servant!” said his master. “You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!”

How do we manage the blessings that God gives us? In each of our lives, we are given many representative “talents.” In first-century Palestine, “talents” were coins of precious metal that carried great value. Our “talents,” however, come in many different forms. Some examples are as follows: our spouse and children, our vocation at work, our position in the community, our role as friend and family member, and our role as neighbor to everyone we meet. A “talent” can be any blessing we are given in our lives, and those blessings carry responsibility.

Jesus calls us to be “faithful in managing small amounts.” And this faithfulness is measured by how we invest those talents in our lives. And no, Jesus is not just talking about how we invest our money. Instead, He emphasizes an investment of love. How are we loving others through our blessings? In everything Jesus teaches throughout Scripture, the core truth is that of love, which is the principle investment of the Christian disciple: “If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).

Let each of us, therefore, take up this call to be faithful servants of God’s love, investing His love through the many blessings we are given in life.

Heavenly Father,

You give us many talents in our lives for which we are thankful. Please grant us the grace to reciprocate that love to others, investing Your love in all we do. In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

Have a blessed week and Happy Thanksgiving!

Stan

Am I a True Servant?

Luke 17:9-10 (GNT): Am I a True Servant?

Jesus said, “The servant does not deserve thanks for obeying orders, does he? It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty.’”

It is a challenge to put our heart and soul into something only to be ignored or forgotten. It is easy for the good in the world to go unacknowledged. Service to others, kindness, love, reconciliation, and peace are the essential elements of what makes our world and our lives worth living. But those responsible for perpetuating these virtues are often unsung, ignored, or distanced from the good they do. Should the servants of peace be recognized and held up, entitled and enshrined as purveyors of greatness? Jesus instructs that a servant simply does their duty, expecting no privilege, public acclaim, or payback.

As Christ’s disciples, we are purveyors of peace, missionaries of mercy, heralds of hope. And in our service to God and humanity, we toil and labor for love, peace, pardon, and justice. Our expectation is only that we have done our duty, no matter who sees or recognizes it.

Therefore, when we prepare the family meal, listen to the frustration of a friend, console a sick child, give to a needy cause, devote our time to a project, stay up late to make sure something is done right, or wake up early to ensure our spouse and children have what they need, we are being true servants, often ignored but rewarded in our duty to God and those we love.

Henri Nouwen, the ivy-league professor, priest, writer, and caretaker of the multiply disabled, stated, “The fruits of your labors may be reaped two generations from now. Trust, even when you don't see the results.” Sometimes we only see the furrowed field or the barren tree; however, perseverance and faith ensure that our service in Christ matters. In our faithful duty, we are to “trust, even when you don't see the results.”

Loving God, please grant us the grace of humble service to You and our neighbor. Let our duty, even when it is unacknowledged, yield good fruit in this world. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

The Example We Follow

Matthew 23:11-12 (NRSV): The Example We Follow

The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

There are three instances other than this moment in Matthew 23 where Jesus teaches the importance of humility over exaltation. We see it in Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14, and Matthew 20:26. In each context, Jesus addresses people who are misguided about the role of human interaction and service, people who feel that rank and position offer privilege and exaltation above others. Jesus, however, both teaches and exemplifies the opposite.  

Jesus teaches that in the kingdom of God, service is foremost. In Christ, we live to offer our talents and strengths in service to others. And at first glance, this may seem like we are to spend our lives serving others in a soup kitchen or deploying to a foreign country where communities are in need of basic necessities such as food, water, and education. This line of service may be the case for some people, but not for the majority of us. So how do we discern our role in the Body of Christ as humble servants?

We are to abandon the attitude of rank and privilege. All of life’s achievements equip us to better serve others; they do not serve to exempt us from or exalt us above anyone or anything.

We are to abandon the attitude of entitlement. Nothing we do in this world makes us deserving of the blessings we receive. All the gifts we are given are products of God’s grace and goodness. We are called to cooperate with God’s love and radiate it out to those we meet day-to-day. Entitlement opposes humility.

We are to embrace the living example of God who became human because of his eternal love for each one of us. This same God lit the dark sky with the brilliance of stars, planets, and galaxies. This same God created the canyons, seas, and sunsets of our world. This same God wove humanity in his image and likeness, to love and care for the other no matter who they are. This same God willingly carried his own instrument of execution to a hilltop where he would suffer public torture, insult, defamation, nakedness, and death. It was this same God, Jesus Christ, who cried out to his father in tears of abandonment as he asphyxiated on the cross, dying among criminals, so that we could live.

Love counters rank and entitlement, for “all who humble themselves will be exalted.” We are called to live each day offering our best to the person in front of us. So let’s smile more, laugh often, share with abandon, help without hesitation, express joy, and be kind and forgiving.

Loving God, please grant us the grace to be humble, allowing us to serve and love our neighbor as ourselves for the love of you. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan