The Righteousness of Love

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:15 pm Post subject: The Righteousness of Love

The Righteousness of Love

Scripture:

So you, O son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore you shall hear the word from my mouth, and shall tell it them from me. When I say to the wicked: O wicked man, you shall surely die: if you do not speak to warn the wicked man from his way: that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand. But if you tell the wicked man, that he may be converted from his ways, and he be not converted from his way he shall die in his iniquity: but you have delivered your soul.
(Ezekiel 33:7-9)

Owe no man anything, but to love one another. For he that loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For: You shall not commit adultery: You shall not kill: You shall not steal: You shall not bear false witness: You shall not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The love of our neighbor works no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.
(Romans 13:8-10)

But if your brother shall offend against you, go, and rebuke him between you and him alone. If he shall hear you, you shall gain your brother. And if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to you as the heathen and publican. Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
(Matthew 18:15-20)

Reflection:

Conflict and violence seem to be the plague of every generation. The innocent suffer at the hands of political extremists; those who set their own morality, not to encourage justice, but by which to simply obtain and demonstrate power. The arrogant lord themselves over the meek and those who desire peace. Good hearts are sullied by the deceptions of evil.

God has sent His angels and His prophets to guide us in the ways of love and peace, but the children of His creation are too easily seduced by the lies of the evil one. God encourages the path of the righteous and warns the wicked of the wages of evil. Some will heed, but so many are deaf to His Word and blind to His ways of love. The faithful cannot force the wicked to change, but the faithful are called to encourage those who cross their path to a better way, the way of love.

We are called not to judge (Matthew 7:1), for we have all allowed evil to pass through us. None of us can claim to be perfect and though our sin may not be the same as the sin of another, we have all sinned just the same. Instead of judging, we should encourage one another to turn away from the seductions of evil. Just as we may minister to and encourage the soul in need, so should we minister to and encourage one another to turn away from the path which leads only to the void. In so doing, we endeavor to fulfill the second of the greatest of commandments, the commandment to love one another. (Matthew 22:36-40) As we demonstrate our love for one another, we also demonstrate our respect for the creation of God. As we respect His creation, we also demonstrate our respect for Him, a respect rooted in love.

It is one thing to compete with one another for sport, but to enable the blessings of life, we do better to help one another as we navigate our trials and tribulations. All the commandments given by God are not to oppress us as the evil one would have us believe, but to encourage us in our love of our Creator and the children of His creation. Jesus told us that it is the commandments of love upon which all the law and all the prophecy depend. (Matthew 22:40)

We cannot resolve our conflicts by shouting at one another, for as we shout, we do not listen. If we do not listen, we cannot hope to understand where we might have opportunities for peace. Grudges only serve to perpetuate wrongs, but forgiveness allows us to start a new path where blessings may be shared.

Some are tempted to believe that hate may be countered with arrogant and caustic words or through means of violence, but we cannot hope to end hate with that which fuels it. If we desire peace, we must seek the ways of God. We must put away selfishness and follow the ways of truth, righteousness, compassion, humility, civility, and love. It is only by our commitment to love for God and one another that we have the opportunity to close the door to the winds and ravages of hate and the evil it ushers in. It is perhaps an impossible task for the selfish heart, but it is possible for the selfless souls who seek to invite the strength of the Holy Spirit within their hearts.

Let us, then, turn away from arrogant and caustic words. Let us turn away from the seductions of pride and envy. Let us not seek to be first or supreme, for only God is supreme. His love is endless and He holds no partiality among the children of His creation, but He weeps for those who allow their hearts to be turned to the ways of evil, the ways of hate, the ways of emptiness and darkness.

Let us pray for those for which our Savior weeps, that they may hear His Word of love within their hearts, that they will understand the weakness of selfishness and that we all have the opportunity to turn to the strength of compassion, forgiveness, and love. Let us pray that every soul shall find the power of love so the reign of evil over the hearts of the prideful, envious, arrogant, and self-righteous shall end.

Let us not look past our own sin, but also pray that we, too, may be filled with the strength and righteousness of His love. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit shall descend upon every heart so the darkness of the world may be extinguished by the holy light of God.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways may we encourage one another with the blessings of love?

In what ways may we improve our relationships with one another?

In what ways may we turn back the forces of evil so we may unleash the blessings of peace?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier