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A young man was madly in love with a beautiful, but wicked young woman. She wanted him only to think of her. She said, "I will pledge myself to you, if you cut off your mom's head and bring it to me." The man was so infatuated with the woman that he could barely wait to do her wish. He rushed home, grabbed his mom, and cut off her head. He took her head by the hair and ran into the night, for he could hardly wait to return to his ruthless lover. He, racing with his mom's head in his hand and down the street, heard the head speak, "Please don't hurry, my son; you might fall and hurt yourself."
There is a commitment, literally "a being joined together," stronger than everything else. When Judas came to betray Jesus in the Garden, what did Jesus call Judas? St. Matthew reads: “So Judas came straight to Jesus. 'Greetings, Teacher!' he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. Jesus said, 'My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for. …'" (Matthew 26.49-50, NLT)
The English mystic and devotional writer Walter Hilton (14th Century), in The Scale of Perfection, refers to Jesus loving Judas: “Ponder how Christ loved Judas, who was his deadly enemy. Christ was good to him. … This kind of unconditional love is required of us. Jesus said 'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another' (John 13:34 [NIV])."
The Song of Songs speaks of this commitment:
6Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy [or, ardor] is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the LORD.
7Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
he [or, it] would be utterly despised. (8.6-7, ESV)
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Jesus says: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (St. Matthew 5.43-45).
A disciple approached his Master. “Master, I cannot love my enemy the way God loves my enemy.” The Master replied, “My son, that is a good place to begin.”
Reflections
What encouraged you in the writing today? Explain.
Did you disagree with something in the writing today? If so, explain.
What does the closing story mean to you?
Spiritual Exercise
Meditate and pray with one of the passages in the writing today.
Make sure you have a sacred space in your home for time alone in prayer and spiritual reading.
Make sure you are in a covenant group. For more information on covenant groups, write me at the address below.
Consider, if you are not already, sponsoring a child through Compassion International. You can find out more about Compassion International by going to www.compassion.net to read about sponsoring, in the name of Jesus, children living in poverty. Thanks! Brian K. Wilcox
Brian’s book An Ache For Union can be purchased at major book dealers.
To contact Brian, write briankwilcox@comcast.net .
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