How to Live Jesus' Example

Matthew 7:24-25 -- Active Love

Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reiterates an important truth about being his faithful follower: We should act in the way of love that Jesus both models and teaches. Being a disciple is based on this foundation, namely living out the love and self sacrifice that Jesus models. This doesn’t mean that we become homeless, itinerant preachers, sacrificing our lives for the liberation of others. Very few are called to that extreme. But what is our calling? How are we to act on God’s will and Christ’s example in our lives?

When I was eleven, a friend invited me on a weeklong trip to a lakehouse in Maine. We joined his dad, stepmother, grandfather, and aunts and uncles in a cozy four-bedroom house with picturesque views and immediate access to the water. But this trip happened at a difficult time in my life. 

My mom and dad had just gone through a separation and divorce, and the context of that family dissolution was ugly, the experience still raw. As a pre-teen beginning the throws of adolescence, I was in a vulnerable, confusing emotional space. I was volatile and overly sensitive. My behavior on that trip was less than ideal: I was unappreciative, secretive, and withdrawn. That family, however, acted in a way of love, answering my dejection with hospitality and kindness. 

I vividly remember feigning sleep one day instead of going out on the water. I just wanted to stay away from people. My friend did not understand but, in frustration, let me be. Outside of the door, I heard his father in muffled tones say, “He is having a rough time. His parents just divorced and he’s hurting. Cut him some slack and be a friend. Let him sleep.” I will never forget the positive impact of those words, for I am writing about them now, 35 years later. 

It is experiences like the above that convince me of God’s presence in the lives of all who actively love, even in the smallest ways. This family chose to be kind, loving, forgiving, and hospitable -- even when their guest did not reciprocate. 

Jesus reminds us of the opportunity we have in life to follow his example, to be the ensigns of his love in this world. Sometimes it seems impossible, but with God’s grace, all things are possible. 

Loving God, please guide us to love the people you send to us, despite their faults and ours. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Have a blessed week!

Stan