LOVE GOD, LOVE YOUR BROTHER
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” I John 4:20, ESV
Theme: We show our love for God by our love in relationships, not our judgment and hatred. We can’t love God when we continue to hate people.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER
You may not have a brother. I, however, have the pleasure and occasionally the frustration of having grown up alongside a most excellent brother, Jeff. If you attend the Mooresville campus early on Sunday mornings, you are likely to see him with his family. Growing up, we occupied many of the same spaces: school, church, and the neighborhood street. If we weren’t together, his friends would ask “Have you seen Jeff?” Or I might be asked at school to ferry home an assignment if he was sick. I didn’t mind being my brother’s keeper. Besides, when I was afraid at night, he would let me crawl into his bed for company even though I was older. We had a good relationship and (most of the time) he was easy to love.
AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?
The first story about brothers in the Bible didn’t end well. Cain killed Abel because he was jealous and judgmental. Cain wanted God’s approval so badly he was willing to kill his competition. Yet, God saw Cain’s attempt to win His favor for what it was – a sin and a mistake. Cain could have shown God love by accepting his brother, learning from him, and making changes. God addressed Cain: “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?’” (Genesis 4:9, ESV). What might have happened if Cain had decided to be his brother’s keeper instead of considering Abel a competitor to defeat?
THE BROTHER YOU CAN SEE
Who is my brother? I think it is easy to limit our definition of “brother” to biological siblings. To be sure, if you have a biological brother, he fits the definition. I know not all brothers are easy to love, as my brother is. Even if you aren’t close with your brother, you can still show your love for God by extending an olive branch periodically, sending notes or gifts, and refusing to hate him in your heart.
Jesus defined family in a way that may seem dismissive or confusing yet reveals His strong love for the whole family of God. “But he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:48-50, ESV). My brother is the person who needs a place to live for a week while they get back on their feet. My brother is the child in Egypt who needs a sponsor. My brother is the person in the middle of fighting an addiction who’s trying to attend church again. My brother might have spent the money he needed for rent, be in a tough spot with his spouse, or have just yelled at me on the way to church. He also forgot to put the toilet seat down. While those situations may be hypothetical, they remind me who I’m called to love – not hate or judge – in Jesus' Name.
Make It Personal: What could you do today to show your love for God by showing love for someone close to you? How does being your “brother’s keeper” come naturally to you? In what situations is it challenging?
Pray: God, thank You for the brothers in my life. Help me to willingly be “my brother’s keeper” cheerfully and without complaint. Thank You for all the times people close to me have cared for and kept me. You are a good God, showing us what real love looks like and helping us to live it out by following Your excellent example. Thanks for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me today to see an opportunity to love You by showing love to someone else. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Genesis 4:2-9; Matthew 12:46-50
Weekly Memory Verse: “Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’” Matthew 18:32-33, ESV