even sinners love

I've been thinking a lot lately about love. Unconditional love, to be more exact. I am in a bible study that is currently going through Luke. One of the chapters that has stuck out to me is Luke 6, specifically verses 27-36.

²⁷"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

³² "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Reading this, I immediately thought of how I have absolutely failed at being an unconditional lover.

I have read this passage numerous times. I have seen these words, listened to sermons on these words, but never did I think to check that I was applying it. You see, as a church-going Christian, I did what all "good" Christians are to do. I found a group of other "good" Christian friends who I could be close to and who would hold one another accountable and point out weaknesses and strengths and encourage a more genuine and legitimate walk with God. The problem with this is that us Christian's got caught in our Christian bubble. Every so often, another person would be added to the bubble, which was great. However, as it would happen whenever more than one gather together consistently, problems began to arise. People began to hurt one another. Where we were once encouraging and loving towards each other, we became bitter and judgmental. Somehow, our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ, became our enemies.

God created us in His image. Jesus set an example of how to live. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, guiding and directing us. It is easy to love when that love is reciprocated. It is easy to encourage others who also encourage you. It is easy to be nice and friendly to those that will return it. What isn't easy is to be those things and to do those things to the ones who hurt you, to the ones who seem to make no progress.

God's mercy upon us is incredible. It is something that we could never begin to fathom, yet we too are supposed to have mercy upon one another. We are supposed to LOVE one another, and we are supposed to love unconditionally.

The Bible has made it clear, in my opinion, that there is no justification to show hatred towards one another. There is no justification for an unforgiving heart. Even the most difficult people, we must love. Even the most irritating and obnoxious, we must forgive. The grudges that we hold against one another are not furthering the Kingdom and they certainly are not showing Christ. Love is hard, and choosing to love one another is even harder, but an easy life is not what we have been called to.