BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW
Mark 12:28-31
One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
The this past few weeks have been filled, nationwide with many demonstrations. These demonstrations now have made it into many small towns, even right near home. One quite town just 20 miles from me had "peaceful" protests over this past weekend. I use the word "peaceful" because nothing was destroyed and no one was hurt. However "peaceful", by it's very definition, was not what these protests were...
"peaceful": free from disturbance; tranquil. Example: "everything was so quiet and peaceful in the early morning"
I read a report from one "peaceful" demonstrator, who was raising a sign that talked about the fact that hate (on the administration's part) was no way to fix our problems. In the sentence he wrote about his hate for the administration. Some of the people there would wish to eliminate the president and others.
Back in 1936 Dale Carnegie, published a book that has since sold over 30,000,000 copies. The title, HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE. I'm sure that most of the protestors around the country have not read this book. But they have a right to do what they are doing and I am not arguing this point in any way. However, if I was counseling this group today... I think I would inform them that they are not winning many others over to their side by shouting angrily at those that drive or walk by. There are better ways to do it.
One Sunday morning a few years ago Orlando Florida experienced a terrorist attack that shook our entire country. With nearly 50 dead and that many more seriously injured. The news had made it clear that this tragedy took place at a gay and lesbian night club. To many this somehow makes it worse and to others it effects them differently. No matter where it happened or who was there, it is horrific.
The Chik-Fil-A chain has been under attack by the LGBT organization for many years and those in the organization had attempted to put Chik-Fil-A out of business. This chain of restaurants is never open on Sunday... but not that Sunday, not so on the day after the attack. The Orlando Chik-Fil-A, nearest to the shooting, didn't open their doors for business, but instead brought their employees in and continually made food all day and delivered it to the site of the shooting and fed those that escaped, the families of victims, the volunteers and the police. Not only that, but the restaurant closest to the blood bank was giving away free lemonade all week to blood donors. Why? Because those in that company understand what love is. They didn't fight fire with fire, they loved those that were hurting with a godly compassion, that showed they loved the people there.
In the scripture above it doesn't say to love your neighbor, if they agree with you or if they are perfect. No, it just says to love your neighbor as yourself. And this command is a positive command in that it tells us to do something, it doesn't say to do nothing. We are told to do... to love. We might argue, well I don't hate them, or I don't abuse them... that's not good enough. Love is an action.
So love your neighbor, whoever they are, whatever they believe, whatever they serve, wherever they are. Christ said this in John 13:35, "and by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Are you a disciple of Christ? If so, are you loving your neighbor? Are you loving those that hate you, because of Christ? It's easy to love those that love us. Loving those that hate us is harder, but that is when Christ's love truly shines through our lives.
We are not called to agree with sin or go along with it... we are called to Love. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW...
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