Meditation III

Online Christian Daily Devotion: TWAU

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. (John 3:16)

This one simple sentence is the core of our faith. It is the good news that has been proclaimed for two thousand years. God the Most High, uncreated Creator, sent his only Son into the world to save the people he had created. He didn’t treat us as we deserved, condemning us as sinners for our disobedience. Instead, in his amazing love, he allowed his Son to endure so much dishonor and shame so that he could redeem us through his unflinching obedience.

How can we fathom the love of the Father, who offered his only Son for sinners? How ncan we comprehend the love of the Son, who so eagerly responded to his Father’s call? Try as we might, the story of salvation will forever defy human reason. We can’t fathom the kind of love that would motivate such a sacrifice. We could never experience absolutely perfect self-giving from any human friend. But we can experience it from God—and experience it every day.

One Bread, One Body:

Darkness is the absence of light. You can make a dark room light by turning on a flashlight. However, you can't make a light room dark by turning on a "flashdark." By definition, no one can invent a machine that shines darkness which overpowers light. You can only make a room dark by extinguishing the source of the light.

Jesus came to the world as its Light (Jn 12:46). However, men hated the light of Christ because they preferred evil lifestyles (Jn 3:19). Since they couldn't overcome the Light (Jn 1:5), they extinguished Jesus by crucifying Him.

Alleluia! Jesus has risen! "The Light shines on in darkness" and can no longer be extinguished (Jn 1:5). So now the only way for men to find the darkness they crave is to erect a place to exclude the Light. Photographers do this by building a darkroom to develop their film. Those committed to a lifestyle of sin build their darkroom by erecting walls to exclude Jesus, the Light (Jn 8:12).

We can't hope to understand God's incredible love for us. For he loves us in ways we couldn't possibly love ourselves. How many of us would consider allowing our children to even come to harm for someone we love, like donating a kidney or the like? God gives up the life of his Son to re-establish his relationship with those that rejected him--us!

We simply can't love without him. He IS Love!

Devoid of love without him, we're consumed by the darkness, to which we become enslaved. Having denied the one person to whom we long with the depth of our being, we pursue any illusion that "fits." Ultimately, we're never satisfied.

Until we turn to the Lord, we remain addicts of evil.

Thanks be to God, his grace is there for us anytime we're ready to accept it--this side of particular judgement!

Do not hesitate to embrace the Lord. Seek the one for whom our hearts our restless! For we do not have to understand love; we may simply enjoy it. And riciprocate it. And share it.

Communion awaits us. What are we waiting for?