The Responsibility of Love

[Prayer-Soldier]

The Responsibility 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:

Some may ponder what responsibility we may have for the brothers and sisters of our journey? The answer is found in the commandments to love. It is the desire of God for us to love one another, therefore, we are accountable to Him for what we do or what we fail to do in love. Is it love to watch someone walk in danger and not warn them of their path? If we see evil and remain silent to it, then, we enable it to stalk its prey.

If we raise our voice in warning, but it is not heeded, then, what comes is not from our hands, but the hands of the one who did not listen. God, therefore, calls for us to help the brothers and sisters of our journey to see the path which is walked so that they may respond to the danger, but He leaves the final choice, as to the direction they go and what they do or fail to do, to them.

He has given us a test for how we should lead our lives, for what is right and just is found first in love. We are told, love works no evil. True love does not harm, but brings blessings. Some may ponder that admonishment causes harm; therefore, it is better to remain silent rather than to offend. If a blind man walks towards a street of traffic, but we fear he may be offended by our warning as to the wisdom of the direction he has chosen, is it love to allow him to walk towards the danger? Is it better for us to remain silent so he might not take offense at our voice?

Still, how we raise the alarm is important. If we raise the alarm as if we are somehow superior or if we do so in condescending ways, the one being warned may hear, but pay more attention to how the warning is given rather than the warning itself. In this way, we may obscure the message and subsequently the understanding of the warning. What comes, then, is partially at our hand. If we do not know how to act to save the one in danger, we should turn to prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in how we should raise the warning with love and compassion in our hearts and how we may walk with love of those who surround us.

If those with which we seek to reconcile do not even listen to the authority of the church, then, we are told to treat them as we would a Gentile or tax collector. One might be tempted to interpret this statement as an excuse to turn our backs and shun them, for that is how they were treated by the people of the day such words were spoken. Still, we must remember that Jesus did not come to walk amongst the righteous, but amongst the sinners so that they may be exposed to His love and turn to the way of His Word. If we believe in Him, we, then, should follow His example to continue to reach out the hand of mercy, compassion and love to all the children of His creation.

If we are confused as to our motives, if we are confused as to what consequences may come of what we do, then, prayer will yield our answer. We are told that the way to the Father is through the Son; therefore, if we pray in His name, He will respond to our prayer. If we come together with others in His name, He will be in our midst to guide our hearts. It will not be difficult for us to recognize Him, for His way is love. If the path we walk is not the path of love, we do not walk the path for which He has always sought for us.

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