Love covers even disappointments and false expectations
This man with leprosy comes to Jesus for healing.
He has no doubt that Jesus could heal him.
Jesus has compassion on the man, and heals him.
He tells him to not tell anyone.
What does he do?
He goes and tells everyone and because of that Jesus could not go into the town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.
“yet the people still came to him”
Do you think Jesus knew that this man was going to go tell everyone?
Probably.
Why did he still do it?
Compassion.
Did this stop Jesus from healing others and having compassion on others?
No.
YET PEOPLE STILL CAME TO HIM.
Why would people come to a man who would reject them. But kept coming b/c they saw people receive healing.
Will Jesus forgive this man again if he came to Jesus for repentance?
Yes.
We often get easily disappointed by people. Usually b/c of our own false expectations. Jesus, I don’t think he was much disappointed because he knows the hearts of a man (human). He knows what our flesh and sinful nature is like. So he doesn’t expect us to be perfect. (he still extends his grace to sanctify us according to our faith in Him).
Why do we let our disappointments in others break possible relationships that can build for the growth of his kingdom? For the growth of knowing more about God?
Our fear holds us back so much.
Our fear of failure. Our fear of making the same mistake twice. Three times or even more!
Yet Peter shares with us in 1peter 4:8 that love covers a multitude of sins.
Paul shares in 1 corinthians 13:44 love is patient, kind, not jealous, not envy, not conceited.
In proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses
…
so where does this leave me? well… tha’s for me and God to know =P
October 3rd, 2005 at 11:31 pm
and for me to find out? =p j/k
increasing authority… u must be weeding. can’t wait til saturday. can we do early, like brunch/lunch?
October 3rd, 2005 at 11:40 pm
Hatred might stir up conflicts, but all conflicts are not hateful or rooted in hatred. Even the act of hating is not inherently evil. You just have more of a tendency to do evil because of it. That’s not to say love doesn’t ever cause conflict or inspire evil either. I’d almost even argue that love is more responsible for the evils of history than hate. But, love definitely trumps in the good department over evil.