The Love of Jesus!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 26:57-75

I will just have to be honest, after reading these 18 verses over and over again, I cannot get verse 67 out of my head. It says, ‘Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.’ It just hurts my heart terribly. I think about Jesus and how the disciples had just abandoned him and now this. He is Jesus and he loves like no other, therefore, he loves these people that are spitting on him and hitting him. How much more does it hurt us to be hurt by the people we love? I don’t think I have realized until this very moment the love that Jesus truly has for me, I thought I knew, but now it seems even more real. He stood there and let them do this to him. He is the Son of God, he could have stopped them at any moment. He could have threw his hands up and said never mind, they don’t even want me anyways---what’s the use in me giving my life for these people. But he didn’t---he didn’t do any of these things. He stood there, an innocent man, and took everything that they gave him. Why? Because his mind was on me, he was thinking I have to do this because I want Rosanne to be with me in Heaven, I want her to have the honor of knowing me, I want to be her Savior. His love for me and you was greater than what his accusers were doing to him. His love continues to be greater than anything that we face, but we have to accept it. We have to accept him and the love that he has for us and with that acceptance we will change, we will be better than we were, we will grow closer to his likeness, and we will eventually be with him.

These people were physically spitting and hitting, but we sometimes cause Jesus as much pain when we are not following his will, when we are not loving and living like he has taught us. With every hurtful word we say and with every bad action we take we are spitting in the face of Jesus. We are not perfect, but we are in control of our actions, in fact, we are the only one that can control what we say and do. Jesus will never force us to live for him, but he will guide our every step if we will let him. While I still have a lot to work on myself and I am no expert on the Bible, I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that Jesus loves you like no one else and he will fill your life with more love than you can even take in…you just have to let him.