This year, I chose to slow down and meander through the New Testament rather than skedaddle through all of Holy Scripture. It’s amazing what you see when you roll the windows down, let the fresh air blow through your hair, and inhale the scenery. I am still amazed by the analogies, metaphors, and allegories Jesus used to teach hard truths.
Recently, I noticed two common themes intersecting in Matthew’s parables: love and humility. They go hand in hand. It takes passionate love to pursue one lost sheep (18:11-14), and it requires humility to forgive another’s debt after realizing we have been forgiven of so much (18:23-35). Humility helps us receive the Father’s love like little children (19:13-15). Sitting securely in God’s loving lap motivates those who consider themselves to be “good little church girls and boys†to humble themselves enough to receive great blessings (19:29). It also takes great love and humility to climb down from our high horses and exchange our everyday clothes for the wedding robe of righteousness Jesus provides (22:11-14).
After Satan’s pride caused him to fall like lightning from heaven, he grabbed a contaminated syringe and held us down. We can blame him for infecting each one of us with his pride virus that threatens our willingness to accept love and embrace humility. However, we can’t blame him for our choices. Love and humility are always choices.
This trip through Matthew has taught me that we can’t love others until we accept the Love that passionately pursued us, found us, placed us on His shoulders, and brought us into His fold. There, we can feel secure enough to admit our need for forgiveness and then extend it to others. The Holy Spirit invites us to wrap ourselves in Jesus’ robe of righteousness and then empowers us to help others feel its warmth.
When Jesus was asked, “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?†He answered,
 “Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.†(Matthew 22:37-39 TPT)
Love God and humbly love people. Thanks, Matthew, for the reminder!
