Real Love
When Jesus walked on earth, He saw and felt everything the people he met thought and felt. Everything. When He met the woman at the well, He saw her pain. he saw how badly she had been treated by the men in her life. When He met the man who was blind from birth, He knew what it felt like to be ignored and left to die.
When the mothers brought the children to Jesus, He saw their hearts as well.
That’s what Get REAL is about. It’s about authenticity. It’s about what happens when we meet Jesus face to face.
Some folks find that a little frightening, with good reason. They are hiding their true self and they have convinced themselves that is okay. The truth of the matter is that even when we hide truth, God still sees our true self. Personally, I would rather see myself as God sees me.
I ask God regularly to let me see myself as He sees me.
I imagine (based on the reaction of the disciples) when the mothers brought the children to Jesus they were being real children. They were squiggly, noisy, rambunctious, and all snuggles and hugs. They were being normal children.
While the disciples tried to remove and silence the children, Jesus rebuked the disciples and sternly said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14).
I think that must have been a bit of a slap in the face to the disciples. They gave up everything to follow Jesus, and now He says these rowdy children are like the kingdom of heaven?
Ouch!
The truth is that Jesus knew everything His disciples thought and felt. He also knew everything the children thought and felt. When he touched the children with love, He received a full measure of their love in return.
That’s what Jesus wanted.
He loved them and He wanted the disciples to love Him in return. But of course, a lot of the time they were in competition mode.
The children were not. They returned His love.
So the next time you wonder ‘what does God want from me?’ Remember this. Jesus wants you to love Him back in the same way the children of loved Him back.
In Jesus, Deborah
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