Daily Devotions
True Love Gets Angry
Reading for February 1: Leviticus 14-15
Weekly reading for January 28-February 3: Matthew 20-24
Title: True Love Gets Angry
"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 verse concludes a series of seven woes where Jesus denounces the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in Matthew 23. These seven woes represent the strongest and most direct language we hear from Jesus. He calls the Pharisees "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, we see here a side of Jesus that may seem out of character for him. 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 that he did to them in condemnation 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. Their anger may appear to be unloving. But consider the fact that 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 is coming at you with words of condemnation (which may seem harsh). They might be telling you the truth. 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.
