“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Eph 4:32), now loves you (Zeph.3:17), and will finish his work in you” (Phil1:6). “Because Christ is your life and his glory defines your forever” (Col.3:4), “have brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” toward each other (I Pet. 3:8).
Lord Jesus, this tapestry of Scriptures falls squarely in the category of “things impossible for man are possible with God” (Matt.19:26). Now we could dumb-down these words to merely mean, “be a polite, well-mannered, don’t embarrasses-your-parents Southerner.” But that’s certainly not what you have in mind. We are to love others as you love us, period. Have mercy, Lord, have mercy—and you do as this day begins and will continue.
If you asked us the question Abba asked Jonah a bunch of years ago: “Do you have a good reason to be angry?” (Jon.4:4). We might respond, “Yes, I have every right to be angry” (Jon.4:9). Though many of us have really good reasons to be angry today, a good reason to be angry and a right to be angry aren’t the same thing. A “right” to be angry isn’t too far upstream from a “license to kill.”
A good reason to be angry doesn’t give us the right to “repay in kind,” but to be kind and repay with grace (1Pet.3:9, 1Thess.5:15, Rom.12:17-21). That’s not emotional crazy-making or abusive over-expectation; it’s your life for us, in us, and through us. Help us, Jesus.
“Help us” like you “helped” the Red Sea to part, and Lazarus to walk out of his tomb alive. Help us like you helped the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the demonized to be free. We’re that clueless, helpless, and powerless when it comes to loving as you love us, Jesus. So Very Amen
