Love is Never Wasted

Matthew 27:27-31 Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace. All the soldiers gathered around him. They took off Jesus’ clothes and put a red robe on him. Then they made a crown from thorny branches and put it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed before him, making fun of him. They said, “We salute you, king of the Jews!” They spit on him. Then they took his stick and kept hitting him on the head with it. After they finished making fun of him, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be killed on a cross.

Have you ever done someone a good turn and then been miffed when they didn’t even acknowledge it, let alone thank you for it? It kind of leaves you wondering, why did I even bother?

Isn’t it funny how we respond to this apparent absence of gratitude? What does it say about our own sense of self-entitlement when we imagine that the value of our good deed is somehow diminished, or even invalidated, by a lack of acknowledgement?

Whatever happened to the idea that a good deed has intrinsic value in and of itself? That love is the most valuable commodity of all, even if the object of our love doesn’t accept, understand or acknowledge it?

Do you perhaps have someone like that in your life at the moment; someone you’re tempted to give up on? Then this is how Jesus responded to sinners like you and me who simply didn’t get it.

Matthew 27:27-31 Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace. All the soldiers gathered around him. They took off Jesus’ clothes and put a red robe on him. Then they made a crown from thorny branches and put it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed before him, making fun of him. They said, “We salute you, king of the Jews!” They spit on him. Then they took his stick and kept hitting him on the head with it. After they finished making fun of him, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be killed on a cross.

C.S. Lewis put it like this: “Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.” We love, because God first loved us.

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.