What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Matthew 5:46
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Some of you probably started singing the old Tina Turner song already. Do you remember the lyric, "it's just a second hand emotion"? Meaning that anyone can say or act like they love you. It travels from hand to hand or person to person. Leaving you with used goods or a used love.

Christ Jesus asked them in their day and us in our day "if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" If we only love those that love us then how could this seem good or rewarding? He takes it a step farther and says even the publicans do that. Wow, this is pretty harsh. He is telling us that if we only love those who love us then our love is as false as the tax collector.

If we only love those who love us then isn't our love motivated by what they offer us? I have seen children love people and other children only because of what they give them. I've seen adults follow suit with the same actions. Would you think a child would love me and show affection to me if I gave them a sucker? What about a teenager if I gave them an iPad? Or what about you as an adult if I bought you a new vehicle? Sure you would love me! But it would only be a temporal love because if I stopped showering you with gifts or didn't show you that I loved you then you would easily turn off your conversation, affection and love for me.

Why is there a reward for loving those that don't love us or hate us? Because there is labor involved! It's difficult to love those who refuse love. It is work. Lord, help me to be different and teach me to love those who don't love back or even hate me. I know that this help will come from looking at you and your sacrifice on the cross.

What's love got to do with it? Pretty much everything!