Love without Demands

God continued to press on my heart that sincere love is not tied to a specific 'return.'  My reading took me into Jesus' final week.  The folks who came to see Him and praise Him focused on the miracles He had done.  They worshipped His healings and what they expected Him to do as their King.  That was a love tied to expectations.  We all know that 'love' changed to chants of 'Crucify Him' in less than a week.  Again I was reminded that love is relationship...it is value of another exclusive of their actions.  I want to love and be loved like that...and the only way to do it is soak on this:

We love Him because He first loved us!

...and John went on to say, we can't love Him unless we love others.  I heard a sermon once that said, 'We only love God as much as we love the person who irritates us the most.'  Real love demands much of us...but real love makes no demands on another.

 

Before I got to this passage on Christ's entrance, there were some passages that broadened my view of the topic.  The passage of the field owner who paid all of his workers the same--regardless of their work--is set just before this.  We do expect to be rewarded for what we do in comparison to others, don't we?  Then there was the story of James and John--and their ambition (or perhaps their mother's ambition).  Finally, the parable of the talents--of investing what we receive.  God looks at things differently than we do, doesn't He?

 

So my take-away?  Honor is bestowed by the Father but that should not motivate what we do.  Our doing should be because He is Lord.  When the disciples took the donkey that is what Jesus told them to say:  "The Master has need of it."  I want my life to be His in the same way.  He, the Supreme One has business to do--and I am honored to be His servant.  I do not want to work for reward; I want to work because I love--because He loves me. 

 

Even my Chambers' devo spoke of much the same... Check it out here:

 

  "We do not earn anything by faith...."