Matthew 23:37
John 15:9-17
Acts 10:44-48
1 John 5:1-6
Unconditional love and Mother’s Day spiritually tie together, for the
true connection is united in the unconditional love that comes from heaven.
At birth, or perhaps even before, God has instilled in each and every one of
us the ability to receive and share His unconditional love, and this is
particularly true when it comes to a mother’s love for her baby.
And, we see this same kind of love in animals, which is one of the reasons
that Jesus used the example of a mother hen in Matthew 23:37…
37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are
sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a
hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
NASB
This example shows the unconditional love of a mother hen for her children,
but Jesus is telling us that this same kind of love is to be expressed
toward God and the whole of creation (humans, animals, and the environment
in which we all live).
In John 15:9-17, Jesus tells us how this unconditional love ties together
with following the Lord’s teachings and commandments.
9. "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
If we truly abide in God’s love, then our own love will extend to the whole
of creation, and we will do every peaceful thing we can do to eliminate all
human caused pain, suffering, and death that is inflicted upon millions of
human beings and billions of animals every year.
Simply put, this means that we will no longer eat, wear, or use any animal
products, and we will lovingly and peacefully encourage other people to do
the same thing.
10. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.
It is very important for all of us to understand that Jesus considers
keeping and acting upon His commandments to be part of His love for us, and
our love for Him and the whole of creation.
We cannot separate following Jesus’ teachings from heavenly unconditional
love.
11. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Jesus is telling us that when we have unconditional love and follow His teachings, we will have the joy of the Lord within us.
12. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved
you.
13. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his
friends.
And, we are to include every human being and animal to be our friends in
this context.
We are to help free creation from its present corruption and restore God’s
peace and joy to this world.
14. "You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
Note the way Jesus considers friendship with us to be conditioned upon our
following His teachings and commandments.
We cannot have friendship with Jesus even if we say we believe, and still
live in the corrupt ways of this world with all its pain, suffering,
bloodshed, and death.
Following Jesus means that we must turn away from the corrupt and evil ways
of the world, and live in the heavenly will of God.
15. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
We should also remember that people like Francis of Assisi also referred to animals as his friends and brothers and sisters.
16. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever
you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
17. "This I command you, that you love one another.
NASB
Unconditional love will free us from the corrupt and evil ways of this world
and usher us into the kingdom of heaven.
This same kind of unconditional love is expressed in Acts 10:44-48 in the
way God sends forth His Holy Spirit to help us separate ourselves from the
corrupt ways of this world.
44. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon
all those who were listening to the message.
45. And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles
also.
“Circumcised believers” is a Biblical way of saying Jewish believers.
This also shows that God is reaching out to every single person in the whole
world, and not just Christians and Jews.
The Lord wants everyone to repent and come to the glory of God.
46. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then
Peter answered,
47. "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have
received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
This shows us that we cannot consider our religious rituals as only belonging to us; they are there to encourage others in the world around us.
48. And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
they asked him to stay on for a few days.
NASB
In 1 John 5:1-6, we see even more about the connection between unconditional love and following the commandments and teachings of the Lord.
1. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever
loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and
observe His commandments.
Note how John is tying unconditional love and following God’s commandments together.
3. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
When we are truly filled with God’s unconditional love, following His commandments and the teachings of Jesus is really a joy.
4. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.
Note carefully what we are told here: that if we are born of God or born
again, then we will also have overcome the ungodly ways of this world with
all its human caused pain, suffering and death.
This should happen naturally if we allow it, instead of giving into the peer
pressure of those who say they believe but still live in the ways of the
world, and this includes members of the clergy.
5. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is correct, but we cannot forget that we are also told that this includes following His teachings and commandments, for it is all part of the unconditional love we receive from heaven, and that we are to extend to every other living being.
6. This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the
water only, but with the water and with the blood.
NASB
In other words, Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and His human mother,
Mary.
Mary’s love for her Son is another example of God’s heavenly and
unconditional love.
This is another example of how unconditional love and Mother’s Day tie
together, and it should be an encouragement to all of us to fill ourselves
with this unconditional love and share it with the world around us.
Sharing God’s unconditional love is something we can never run out of, for
the more we share it, the more we seem to receive.
Love one another, whether human or animal, as the Lord loves us.
Amen.
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