September 8th - Reflection

1 John 3:11-16 (NRSV)
Love one another For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

Reflection
I find it a little easier to work this passage backwards. As Christians, we know the Love of God because Jesus laid down his life to give us life free from the eternal damnation and death of sin. Jesus became our sin and died on the cross.

In this way we know Love which is Jesus. Accepting this work of Jesus and having faith in what Jesus has done we are now living life. We are living ever-lasting life, here and now. A life where we have been taught love.

Those separated from this love are living sin. They have not passed out of the death of sin into the love of Christ. As Christians we have this knowledge. This isn't to say that we don't sin. We will sin, but we won't be trapped in that sin. We know that Jesus gave his life for our sin so that we can be free. We acknowledge the sin, repent, and change our ways to follow Jesus.

A person living in the sin will hate the Christians. As Christians we too must give our lives out of love for those who do not know Christ. We seek nothing for ourselves in order to offer the priceless gift of the gospel to our neighbor of whom we love. Jesus has taught us how to do this.

The consequence may be at least two-fold. The person may receive the gift, or perhaps the person may resent the offering of the gift and retaliate. The story of Cain and Abel is used here as this example.

But in this passage we learn that life and love go together in our walk as Christians. And we have been shown this through the life and love of Jesus. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, as I step out into this world, may life and love meet. As I offer love, may the lives of others see the gospel and come to believe. Open my eyes however to the consequences and the possibilities that the gift may be turned away and teach me to trust you always... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen