Daily Devotions
True Love Gets Angry
Reading for August 6th: Isaiah 42-44
Weekly reading for August 2-8: Matthew 20-24
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"
Matthew 23:37
This seems to be a strange ending to a chapter which is so heavy on judgment. This chapter is a series of seven woes where Jesus denounces the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. This is some of the strongest language we ever hear from Jesus' lips. He calls them "hypocrites" (six times), "blind" (five times), children of hell (v 15), fools (v 17), whitewashed tombs (v 27), serpents (v 33), and a brood of vipers (v 33). He asks how they will escape the sentence of hell (v 33) and declares that the blood of all the prophets, from Abel to Zechariah, will be required of their generation (v 35-36).
This kind of language makes us a little nervous. In fact, this is a side of Jesus most don't recognize. However, at the end of the chapter we're reminded that all of these words were said because of love. Jesus' heart was completely pure when he denounced the Pharisees. He said all of this because he wanted to save them just as a mother hen would shield her chicks from danger by gathering her chicks under her wings.
There are so many applications that can be made from this, but one that I would like for you to consider is the fact that true love gets angry. If someone loves you, they will get angry when you sin, when there is evidence of pride and hypocrisy in your character. Their anger may appear to be unloving to you. However, if they didn't love you, they wouldn't be angry. True love is willing to risk everything to correct sin. True love can't sit idly by when a loved one is on a path of destruction. True love has to speak up and say something. Indeed, the proverb is true: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse the kisses of an enemy." (Prov. 27:6)
So don't despise the one who comes at you with words of condemnation (which may seem harsh). They might be telling you the truth. And who knows, they might even love you.
Father, give us humble hearts that will accept correction. Give us grace that we might even thank those who have the love and the courage to correct us.
