How much you love determines how much you spend!
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
How much you love determines how much you spend.
A couple days ago was Valentine’s Day. How much did you spend to show love to the special someone in your life?
Your initial response might be… I spent money on flowers, chocolates, dinner and a card.
Does the amount of money you spend indicate how much you love a person? Perhaps. But as the Beatles sang, “Money can’t buy me love.”
Love certainly moves us to spend money, but love is not merely or always accurately measured by how much money you spend on someone.
Yet how much you love, determines how much you spend.
Let’s go back to Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus.
At first Zacchaeus had little love for Jesus, but a curiosity. So he was willing to invest a little bit of his time and climbing abilities to see Jesus. Yet that changed when Jesus spent time with him. When “salvation came to his house,” and most importantly his heart, Zacchaeus was willing to love those he cheated by returning what he took. Really it was a reaction to how much he had been loved by Jesus and was now willing to “spend” or invest more in loving God by loving others.
Jesus spent on Zacchaeus because he loved Zacchaeus. He spent his afternoon with Zacchaeus. He spent his reputation on Zacchaeus as he went against the cultural norm to be seen with Zacchaeus. But most importantly Jesus would spend his life on Zacchaeus.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
The reason that salvation came to Zacchaeus because Jesus came to Zacchaeus. The reason that Zacchaeus was able to love, was because Jesus loved him.
John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus was willing to spend much more than money on us. He spent every aspect of his life on us because he loved us that much.
So what about us? What are you willing to spend?
Sure, at times we express our love and it means spending money. But perhaps the love you have for the Lord and for others leads you to spend your time. Investing a portion of the time you have can be an incredible expression of love. Spending your abilities and skills to serve someone can be an amazing expression of love. Spending your emotions to empathize and be with someone going through a tough time can be an incredible investment. Perhaps very few of us have or will have the opportunity to give up our life for someone, yet the greatest investment we can make in someone else is our lives themselves.
How much you love determines how much you spend.
God has loved you first. Spend your life loving him and those he puts around you.
Apply: What love opportunities have you missed or avoided because the cost was too much? What love opportunities have cost you the most? What was the outcome?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for spending everything to love me. AMEN.
What you see determines how you love!
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
What you see determines how you love!
Three people see someone in this account. As you read through these words, note, “What do people see?” As a result of what they see, how do they love?
Luke 19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”
Zacchaeus saw Jesus. His curiosity got the better of him and he took the day off to find a spot on Jesus’ route to see Jesus. As a short man, he found a sycamore fig tree to climb. He would have been content to see Jesus pass by, but he got to see Jesus up close and personal. (We’ll come back to Zacchaeus…)
Jesus saw Zacchaeus. Jesus could have just walked through Jericho and never noticed Zacchaeus. He could have been focused on his agenda and kept moving, but Zacchaeus caught his attention. So he stopped. He looked up and saw Zacchaeus.
But Jesus saw more than a man in a tree. He saw a man in search of answers. He saw a conscience that was troubled. He saw a man that fell heavily under the judgment of the religious leaders. He saw a man who was rich in earthly treasures, but poor in spiritual treasures.
Jesus saw past Zacchaeus’ height. He saw past his social status. He saw past his cheating and decided to love Zacchaeus because Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus for who he was: The Messiah…the Savior. Jesus brought salvation to Zacchaeus. He brought forgiveness. He worked a change of heart. He loved Zacchaeus through all the mess that was Zacchaeus.
The religious leaders saw a sinner. The religious elites were appalled that Jesus would spend time with Zacchaeus. All they could see was a sinner. But they weren’t concerned with Zacchaeus’ soul, they were just concerned with their status. To love Zacchaeus would be to let go of their personal status with people. They loved themselves more than Zacchaeus and so expressed loathing, not love.
When Zacchaeus saw Jesus, not just in passing, but saw him for who he was, his loving, forgiving Savior, Zacchaeus loved in return.
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
What you see determines how you love.
Zacchaeus saw Jesus and loved Jesus in return and the people he cheated.
Jesus saw Zacchaeus and loved Zacchaeus with his time and his forgiveness.
The Pharisees saw a sinner they wanted nothing to do with and so lacked love.
What do you see?
What you see determines how you love.
Apply: Notice when you notice people. What do you “see” in them? How does it affect how you love them?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for fully seeing me and expressing your amazing love. Help me to see people as you do and express genuine love to them. AMEN.
Love like who?
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: The Source of Love! (LISTEN HERE)
“Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
As.
This little word in the English language sets up a close connection between two clauses in a sentence. It is a word that indicates a point of comparison between the first clause and the second clause, and usually that point of comparison is pretty close. The comparison is often very helpful because it puts a more concrete component next to an element that might be more abstract.
Ok, enough of the English lesson.
If Jesus would have said simply, “Love each other,” that would have been fine. However, the point of interpretation would be left up to the reader to determine what that looked like. If left up to the Apostle Peter, he might have understood love as “up to seven times” and then he was done loving. If left up to some of the religious thought of the day, you can love people who love you back, but not those that don’t love you. Perhaps if left up to Judas, love would only happen if someone paid monetarily in return.
We can skew our expression of love to match and justify how WE want to love or how WE think we should love.
As.
This connector is so important and powerful in Jesus statement.
“…AS I have loved you.”
Now the nebulous interpretations and expressions of love are thrown out and the first clause, “Love each other” is defined by “as I have loved you.” The only way to love each other is to model the love that Jesus has shown to us.
So we must ask, “How has Jesus loved you?”
This is very personal, but there are aspects that are universal. Take time this week to consider personally how you have received and experienced the love of Jesus.
Jesus’ love is sacrificial. He gave up all to come to this world to live. He gave up his life to die on the cross. He gave up his agenda to follow his Father’s will. He gave up his time to train disciples. He gave up his reputation to confront the Pharisees and the list goes on.
Jesus’ love is inconvenient. Perhaps this is more from our perspective, but it is not always convenient to show love. After a long day, he fed 5000. When it was culturally unacceptable, he sat down and brought hope to a Samaritan woman. When his enemies stood against him, he healed the servant’s ear. When disease was a risk he healed 10 lepers. When mom’s brought their children to him, he blessed them. And the list goes on.
Jesus’ love is impactful. Jesus’ expressions of love changed people’s lives. He called fishermen to be the core group to spreading the love of Jesus. He washed those 12 feet to set an example of servant love and service. He raised the dead. He brought salvation to the taxcollector and forgiveness to the adulterer. His love changed lives…including mine and yours.
The list can go on and I invite you to continue the list. How has Jesus’ loved you?
Because “AS” Jesus has loved you will guide how you love others!
Apply: As has been suggested make a list of all the ways Jesus has loved you. How does that begin to guide your thoughts on how you are to love others.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love AS you have loved me. AMEN.
This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Love God Love People (LISTEN HERE)
Matthew 22:35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The question was, “Which was the greatest commandment in the Law?”
To be the greatest, there has to be nothing above it. I would venture to propose that not only is it the greatest today, but will remain the greatest. To be the greatest, there must be no “asterisks” next to the claim. It can’t be the greatest with qualifications. It must stand on its own and by itself as the greatest.
To ensure that Jesus had “nailed” the answer, he ended his statement with, “All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
ALL the Law. ALL the prophets.
This means that if we read through the pages of Scripture we cannot or will not find any greater command than Jesus just iterated. We will find no exceptions, but rather complete congruency with the statement Jesus makes.
In a brief devotion, we don’t have the time to peruse all of the pages of the “Law and Prophets,” but permit just a few examples from each to give credibility to Jesus’ claim.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Malachi 3:6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.
Micah 6:7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
When one considers all the Old Testament (and New for that matter), it might seem overwhelming first to KNOW what all is in there and then to KEEP what all is in there. By giving us the greatest and second greatest commands to “Love God and Love people” Jesus not only makes it easy to understand, but gives us simple guidance of what it looks like to live as a loved, forgiven child of God.
We don’t have a list of over 600. We don’t even have a list of 10. We have a list of two: Love God and Love people.
And these two are what give life great joy and blessing!
1 John 5:2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Apply: How does your day change and move closer to the Lord by asking as you interact, “Does this show love for God or love for people? If so I will do it…if not, I won’t.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for simplifying your commands into two. I know I will need your ever present forgiveness because I will struggle to keep these two. I also thank you for simplifying the guidance to enjoy the blessings that come when one, by your Spirit’s help, loves you and loves others. AMEN.
Love people like you love yourself!
This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Love God Love People (LISTEN HERE)
“The second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)
With love of God fixed in the “greatest” position, Jesus shares the close second greatest command. Love your neighbor.
In other teachings of Jesus, he clearly shares that neighbor is anybody, including those in need and those that even are our enemies. The standard? “…as you love yourself.”
Jesus is implying that we know how to love ourselves. (Not minimizing emotional challenges that lead a person to hate their life and themselves. This needs professional help.)
So what does it mean to love ourselves? We want what’s best for us. We want to be treated with respect. We don’t want to be hurt by someone else. We want healthy committed relationships. We don’t want people taking what belongs to us. We want a strong reputation. We don’t want people conniving to take from us.
We love ourselves too much to want this, let alone allow this to happen.
So in essence Jesus is telling us, “If you know how to love yourself, apply the same to your interactions with others.”
In Matthew 7:12, Jesus teaches, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
The fact that both Matthew 22 and Matthew 7 “sum up the Law and the Prophets,” indicate that Jesus is using two phrases to encourage the same result: Love people.
The great thing about the Word of God, is we can look at other portions of Scripture to help make sure our human hearts are guided by the Word of God.
In Exodus 20, the Lord gives written commands to Moses. These 10 Commandments help understand what it means to Love God (1-3) and Love People (4-10).
Here they are:
If you want to be honored and respected, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)
If you want to not be physically hurt, “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
If you want commitment in relationships, “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)
If you want your possessions safe, “You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)
If you want your reputation strong, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)
If you don’t want others conniving to get what is yours, ““You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)
Every one of these commands the Lord gives teach us how to love our neighbor by simply putting into words how we ourselves would want to be treated.
Is it challenging to love our neighbor? Yes, because we often want to love ourselves but not our neighbor.
How do we face the challenge?
Remember that loving our neighbor is first and foremost an expression of our love for God. Secondly, how we love our neighbor is also an expression of how much we love ourselves.
Great love for God leads to great love for people.
Great love of self (in a healthy way) leads to great love for people.
Apply: Reflect: Is there an aspect to loving people that challenges you? What changes when you ask the question, “How would I like to be loved in this same situation?”
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for when I often fail to love the people around me. Take me back to your love to empower me to love people. Help me to love them even more than I love myself. AMEN.