The Bible has many stories with great lessons, but there is one small detail that the scribes forgot to mention. Jesus Christ also loved Judas Iscariot. He asked God to forgive everyone in His final moments on the cross.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
—Luke 23:34
Jesus knew the prophesies and what will transpire from the very beginning of their journey together, till the end. He became his teacher, taught him the Father's love, washed his feet, shared meals on the same table and loved Judas like a brother anyway.
As followers of Christ, we are to do the same. This is what will set us apart as children of God. We know the Father's forgiveness and Christ's redemption. We are to embody Jesus' compassion and gentleness in a world that does not know our heavenly Father's love.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
—Galatians 2:20, Paul the Apostle
We are to love and pray for both our friends and our enemies, because Jesus loved and died for their sins as well.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
—Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus Christ
I think the greatest test of Christianity is not only loving Jesus Christ, it's also loving Judas.
Like Judas, we are all sinners. And like him, Jesus also loved us. Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what true Divine Love is. And it is far from the worldly, conditional love we know.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
—John 15:12-13, Jesus Christ
To the child of God that is reading this, don't be so hard on yourself. My love, regardless of what you have done in the past, Jesus Christ also loved you unconditionally. He did it for you so that sin will no longer separate you from our heavenly Father.
So I invite you to see rightly in your heart what is beyond what scriptures, doctrines and laws written in books can teach, to know the embodiment of God's love that surpasses human understanding—Jesus Christ.
"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." - Luke 15 : 10
ANYWAY I LOVE THEM BAIIEEEE + I think this is how close ups work i have no idea.
[ALT ID: A digital painting of Vash from Trigun and a Dependent Plant. Vash's hands are seen, cupping starry water that bleeds down from the veins in his wrist over the Plant's head. The Plant rises from dark, starry water with multiple sets of wings and glowing eyes.]
While God doesn’t lecture us on communication, He loves hearing from us and speaking to us. He knows your thoughts from afar but waits for you to come into His presence. Scripture says in James 4: 8, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
He’s never too busy, never too tired, never too distracted to listen to you and speak to you. If we long for a friendship with God, we are to communicate with Him. As you know, communication is a two-way process: listening and speaking.
We primarily listen to God’s voice through His Word. When we go to His Word with expectation, giving Him the space to communicate to us through His Spirit who reveals the truth, God speaks. Friend, it’s time we got excited about this. Maybe we’ve become apathetic to it because we’ve heard it all our lives—but think about this stunning truth: the God of the universe speaks to you!
We primarily speak to God through prayer. Our prayers are not about presenting a laundry list of requests to God. Our prayers are meant to be far sweeter as we pour out our praise to Him and empty our pain before His throne of grace. Prayer is not about going to God because we need something from Him. It is going to God because He is our everything.
This year, the observance has really moved me. The image of people lining the streets where Jesus rode through and shouting "Hosanna!" keeps replaying in my mind. It's a word I feel like shouting at the moment. It's a word which means "save us", a plea for salvation, but it's also a cry of joy and praise, like the children at the temple shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!". It's a plea for salvation spoken with the joy of knowing the Saviour will deliver it to you. In the week leading up to my baptism on Easter Sunday, my heart is crying out "Hosanna!" too. ❤️🌿
For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the Lion and the adder, the young Lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Because he cleaves to me in Love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show my salvation