Is It Too Hard to Love?

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 3:02 pm Post subject: Is It Too Hard to Love?

Is It Too Hard to Love?

Scripture:

And Josue gathered together all the tribes of Israel in Sichem, and called for the ancients, and the princes, and the judges, and the masters: and they stood in the sight of the Lord: And he spoke thus to the people: But if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, you have your choice: choose this day that which pleases you, whom you would rather serve, whether the gods which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

And the people answered, and said: God forbid we should leave the Lord, and serve strange gods. The Lord our God he brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: and did very great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way by which we journeyed, and among all the people through whom we passed. Therefore we will serve the Lord, for he is our God.
(Joshua 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B)

Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ. Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord: Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the savior of his body. Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife, loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, as also Christ does the church: Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
(Ephesians 5:21-32)

These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum. Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Does this scandalize you? If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickens: the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him.

And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father. After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
(John 6:60-69)

Reflection:

We take for granted the gifts God has granted us, but perhaps one of the most important gifts we abuse is the gift of freewill. Our Heavenly Father left it to our choice as to whether we shall follow Him or the ways of the world. The choice of all we do is ours, but with such a gift also comes great responsibility, for there are consequences to our choices.

If we are to use the gift of freewill wisely, we must look to what comes of our choices. If we examine the Ten Commandments, we see they are simply reflections of the two greatest commandments which Jesus confirmed to us, which are to love God as well as one another as we would love ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40) If we examine the commandments, we are called to have no God before our Lord, whether it is in the form of an idol or any other form of our making for there is no god greater than the One who created all which is visible and invisible. There is no God who loves us more than our Creator.

There are those who say it is too hard to serve God, but why is it so difficult for us to live in love of the One who Created us and loves us? Why is it so difficult for us to love one another as He commands? (John 13:34) Why would we consider it preferable to live by evil ways? The answer is found in our selfishness, for it blinds us to the consequences of what we do. We see only our desires, but we do not see the harm we cause when we do not consider what happens to others, nor do we consider the sorrow of the One who Created us when He observes the evil which is done by selfish hearts.

Let us look to the marriage between a man and a woman. If both are selfish in their desires, it does not become long before such desires fall into conflict. Resentfulness and enmity arises within the relationship, but if husband and wife live to selflessly serve one another, then, the needs of both are considered without a test of wills. Love is nourished within their hearts and joy is shared as they endeavor to care for one another.

Should God bless the marriage with children, the love between man and woman may be extended through the creation which God has gifted. The blessing of love may grow as the family grows, but when selfishness dominates our ways, caring and doing what is right and just suffers. The choice falls to us, to reach out in love or to lash out in selfishness.

The Son of God, in the ultimate example of selflessness, became the sacrifice offered in atonement for our sins. His love for us is so great, He came down from heaven so that He could lay down His life for us so that His body, blood, soul, and Divinity was offered so we may be forgiven our sins, so we might be cleansed of our iniquities, so we might have the opportunity to wash our robes white in the blood of the Lamb and survive the time of great distress and become purified so we may enter into His eternal kingdom where love is shared by all, where there is no pain or affliction, and evil is not allowed to follow.

Our choices are ours. So are the consequences of what we choose. We may serve our selfishness and the ways of the world, or we may serve the One who loves us and calls us to love one another. The result of one choice yields many consequences of pain and misery while the other opens the path to the eternal blessings which may come to us only through our Creator. Let us choose wisely. Let us choose to share the blessings of His love.

Questions for further reflection:

Who or what do we choose to serve rather than the One who Created us?

In what ways may we share the blessings of love within the family and community?

What do we share as we share in love of the One who offers Himself to us as the bread of eternal life?

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