Listen

“You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.”

Matthew 5:43-48

Think

In our scripture for today, Jesus is calling us to have complete love, just like God. Some translations even say to “be perfect.” Being as complete and perfect as God feels unattainable and unachievable, though!

Instead, a perfect, flawless being, Jesus, is calling us to a radical, unending love. Jesus wants us to love completely and perfectly, in the same way God loves. Jesus’ call to be complete and perfect isn’t about getting everything right and never making a mistake.

We are called to love the way God does, with a love that knows no bounds and is shared freely with all. It’s easy to love those who treat us well and love us. It’s hard to love the people we don’t know, the people who have said unkind things to us, the groups we see as “other” than us, and the ones who judge us.

God provides rain and sun to everyone. God’s goodness and grace, mercy and love are available for us all.

Whitney Edwards-Russell

Question to Ponder:

What does complete, perfect love from God mean to you?

Pray

God, I will never be completely perfect, but I can offer goodness, grace, mercy, and love. Help me to be open to your love and let it fill me completely. One way I can show your love today is…

Amen.

Go

Jesus loves me still today,

walking with me on my way,

wanting as a friend to give

light and love to all who live.

Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

– Anna B. Warner, “Jesus Loves Me”