Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos, 1490
God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9.
Some young girls were passing a stand where Bibles were on offer. When they simply read the verse posted there, “The Lord loves you” (Deuteronomy 7:8) they burst out laughing.
Perhaps that is your attitude regarding God’s love. You ridicule it, thinking that by this means you escape meeting God. Maybe you repulse Him with unconcealed hatred. Or perhaps you don’t scoff at it, but you don’t believe in it. Nevertheless, there are numerous proofs of His love. We could all, each one, recognize that love, if we opened our eyes to the beauty of nature that renews itself unceasingly. Have we also grasped that continuing to live day by day is purely a gift of God’s grace?
Laughing at that love, considering it worthless, or even feeling hatred towards God, if our life is problematic, characterizes the state of our heart that revolts against Him.
Yet, despite all that, God still loves us. He came in the Person of Jesus Christ, His Son, to tell us so. He proved it by making Him bear the punishment that our rebellion towards Him deserved. His wish was to grant us peace. He wished to eliminate our sarcasm or our anger towards Him. He has done all that was necessary to deliver us and wants to fill our hearts with peace and joy. Then our faces will be lit by the smile caused by God’s grace as it is experienced in our hearts.
Image: By Sigmund Gleismüller (1449-1511) – anagoria, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26456742