For all of today’s readings, click on today’s date at http://www.usccb.org/bible/
Open posture, stretched out hands
Saturday, February 20, 2016
First Week of Lent
Matthew 5:44-45
Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you … God makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and the rain fall on the just and the unjust.”
It’s never enough to love your neighbor. What about the strangers in our midst, what about our enemies? Can’t we love them too?
Once in awhile, sure. But God is talking about something as natural and consistent as the sun that rises and the rain that falls. To live a LIFE of love, leading always with love no matter who offends, no matter how … that’s something else again.
Scott Peck writes that love means extending myself for someone else’s well-being. That is exactly the way God offers us the sun, and offers us the rain: for our well-being. We will be blessed and benefit from his gifts, no matter how we are acting toward each other, no matter how we feel toward him. The Giver gives. That’s what he does.
So Jesus simply says, “Be like God.” Always give, and don’t stop.
We had three kids, and we kept giving as they grew. Far from perfect at it, but we knew we were the parents and they were the kids, and it was our job to give.
Now we have two chickens, and we keep giving. They lay eggs, or not … no matter which, we keep giving them food and water and time, and affection.
We’ve been married 36 years. We don’t always get along, we don’t always want to. Every day, though, we keep on giving. It’s when we stop that rhythm, even for a little while, that we’re in trouble. After so many years we are like each other’s heartbeat. Some arrhythmia, sure. But within our vast imperfections, we give.
There is nothing heroic or unique about this. All of us live our lives this way, and we might as well say yes to God, rather than hiding in the woods when he comes around. We will not survive without God’s sun and rain, and we will not survive without all the unacknowledged giving that we all do, for each other, every day.
Open up my eyes, Jesus. Let me see more of how we share with each other the love you pour out on us. Put these words in my mouth: Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes.
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1443
