"No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit" (1 John 4:12-13).
If we want to show people God, we show them his love. We know that God is in us by our love for one another. If we don't love we don't abide in God. It is that simple, there is not a better gauge of a relationship with God than by love for him and others. And He gets all the Glory.
In Luke chapter 7 we see Jesus's love manifested greatly. He sees great faith in a centurion and how the centurion cares much for his servant; Jesus responds by healing the servant. When he sees a widow weeping over her dead son he has compassion and brings the son "back to the mother". He hears from John the baptist disciples who ask him if He is the expected one and "At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind", v.21.
Jesus returns John's disciples with a message, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them", v.22. A testimony that Jesus was the One, was expressed through love, and for the least among us. The Pharisees see the miracles, a few think he is a prophet, but he is hanging out with sinners, the unclean, surely not.
If we want to show people God, we show them his love. We know that God is in us by our love for one another. If we don't love we don't abide in God. It is that simple, there is not a better gauge of a relationship with God than by love for him and others. And He gets all the Glory.
In Luke chapter 7 we see Jesus's love manifested greatly. He sees great faith in a centurion and how the centurion cares much for his servant; Jesus responds by healing the servant. When he sees a widow weeping over her dead son he has compassion and brings the son "back to the mother". He hears from John the baptist disciples who ask him if He is the expected one and "At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind", v.21.
Jesus returns John's disciples with a message, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them", v.22. A testimony that Jesus was the One, was expressed through love, and for the least among us. The Pharisees see the miracles, a few think he is a prophet, but he is hanging out with sinners, the unclean, surely not.
He accepts an invite to dine with a pharisee, during which a women who was a sinner shows up. She lavishes much love on Jesus, wiping his feet with her tears, kissing, and touching him. The pharisee said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus knows.
“'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children", v.32-35.
Jesus responds with a parable, two people are forgiven debts, one much and one little. He then asks who will be more grateful. "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little”, v.47. He then says to the woman who shows much love and gratitude, "your faith has saved you; go in peace”,v.50.
“'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children", v.32-35.