Radical Love

Radical Love

Read: Luke 6:27-36

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?”

Luke 6:32

“Love means loving the unlovable—or it is no virtue at all.”

—Anonymous

IN WORD The culture of the kingdom of heaven is not at all like the culture you grew up in. It doesn’t matter whether your culture of origin is North or South American, African, Asian, or European; and it doesn’t matter whether your language of origin is English, Spanish, Lao, or Farsi. You are called to a radically different life and language the moment you ask the Son of God to recreate you by His Spirit.

The first area Jesus deals with in this passage is the area of our loves. Most of us are conditioned to love those who will return the sentiment. But in the kingdom, love is not a sentiment; it’s a choice. We would hope that eventually the choice will be followed by sincere feelings and genuine compassion, but it starts with a choice. The agape kind of love that Jesus compels us to have for others cannot be answered with an “I don’t feel like it.” Feeling isn’t the issue. The issue is whether we will live according to our citizenship in this kingdom of God.

The culture of the kingdom is shaped by its King. If He loved us while we were yet sinners, we must love others while they are yet sinners. If He forgave people who nailed Him to the cross, we must forgive those who nail us to a cross. The King makes the rules, and the rules are different than everything you grew up with and everything your culture tells you is standard.

IN DEED Do you have a standard sort of love? Jesus’ calling is much higher than that. He never asked any of His disciples to fit in with the crowd. He never told His followers just to do what others expect of them. No, His calling means for us a radical departure from all the norms we once knew. It means divorcing the ways of this world and embracing a purer love. It means not many people will travel with us on this road we’ve taken. But how it is worth it! Jesus promises “credit” to us if we do things His way— His wildly radical way. We must stand out from the crowd.