A Bit Just For Us
And what if the whole “hating the sin” bit is just for us? Something to make us feel better, to put a limit to our love? When did God ask for our opinion of everyone’s actions? I’ve been wondering if Jesus was in a constant thought pattern that said, love this guy, but hate what actions he’s doing. I wonder if He had this love/hate relationship with everyone He came into contact with? Should I?
Love keeps no record of wrong and covers a multitude of sins, while kindness leads us to repentance. I’m tired of the whole “love the sinner, hate the sin” shtick because Jesus never said those words. What Jesus said, however, was far more dangerous. He said to “love your neighbor” and “pray for those who persecute you.” When Peter asks Jesus how many times we should forgive (forgiveness being an extension of love), Jesus infers infinity. We should keep forgiving. We should keep loving. When hit, we should offer up the other cheek. And maybe that’s the difficulty here; Jesus’ call to all of humanity is simple: to be more like Him. To be more loving, more forgiving, more whole, more of a people who are not afraid to hope in God.
Jesus talked about sin, don’t read me wrong here, but when in his loving and walking alongside people, does He bring it up? In our “hating the sin,” are we supposed to mention it? Why have such a statement if it’s not meant to affect the way we love people? How do I prove if I love the person and hate the sin? Again, I think this statement gives us permission to spend time with and love people who aren’t behaving as we think they should. Why else have such a statement?
The sins that Jesus is most concerned with are always sins of the heart. Of course, our outward behavior is essential, but how easy is it to watch and disapprove of behavior? How easy is it to “hate” bad behavior? Spoiler alert: it’s easy. Jesus sets the standard impossible for us to rise to on our own; He brings attention to the state of our hearts. I’ll call them: heart matters. Heart matters are matters that can’t be rectified in a simple conversation or convincing because they are a part of us. So I’ve divided to toss the “sin list” and focus on loving the sinners around me. Maybe that’s why He asks us to love; He’s implying that He will handle the rest.
-L