The partial Love

Scripture/Bible: Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. 5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. John 13:1-5

Reflection:  Life is lived in relationships and by holding on to some relationships we compromise on many other relationships.  You cannot relate in the same way with everyone as you would relate with your family. Some friends will have that special place in your life in comparison to the other. 

You may have 5000 friends and yet you are not relating with them all at the same level. Some may be good and some bad, some may be close and with some a hi and bye relationship, with some you may party and drink and some you may never want them for your celebrations but some even if you want them for your parties and gathering yet they may be elusive to your tastes.

“Only God loves everyone equally and in complete measure”, many will agree with me on this and say it is true 100%.   But I do not fully agree with what I have stated above and if it is in the context of what I have shared about friendship then I do not agree at all with what I have stated.

  

It is true that God loves every one irrespective of their caste, creed, race and colour but yet in today’s gospel we see this interesting statement about Jesus:  “…having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

Now you may cry foul and say this is discrimination on God’s part and that he is partial only to the Christians and cares only for the few, it is his word that says it all.

Objectively speaking; yes Jesus loves everyone, irrespective, and this is his love in action; he came into this world to be the eternal sacrifice of redemption for the salvation of all mankind.  But the subjective statement in the Johanine Gospel is equally true; you cannot love a person, whom you are yet loving and continue to love, who does not respond to your transforming love and don’t want to be anywhere near you.  

All that Jesus can do is to hover over the larger humanity with his love, hoping that someday his children who are astray may realize their folly and turn to him and experience his transforming love and power.

 But to those who believe you can rest assured that he loves you as his own and is zealous over you and he will love you to the end and you can receive from this love always and at all times.   

Prayer:  Lord, I thank you for your constant love for me, may I never doubt this love of yours no matter what the odds.

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