Day 8 — Love That Crosses The Pain-Line
Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you suffered for me in love, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring me to God. As I read your Word today, soften my heart towards those who do not yet know you, and grow in me a love that is willing to risk discomfort for their sake. Amen.
Headline
Sharing faith can hurt, but the love of Christ moves us across the pain-line for the sake of others.
1 Peter 3:18
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Matthew 5:11-16
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Comment
Yesterday we were honest about the fact that sharing faith can hurt.
There can be a pain-line to cross in even identifying ourselves as Christians, and especially if we speak about Jesus to people who need him but do not yet recognise their need. We may be misunderstood, mocked, rejected or worse. And because most of us do not like being hurt, the temptation is obvious: keep quiet, stay safe, avoid the pain-line.
So why would we cross it?
Peter gives us the answer:
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
Peter is writing to Christians who are being pressured and opposed because they belong to Jesus. He has just told them to be ready to answer others with gentleness and respect. Now he points them to Christ.
Christ suffered. Not because he had done wrong. He was “the righteous” one. He suffered for the unrighteous — people like us — in order to bring us to God.
That is the heart of the gospel. Jesus willingly crossed the ultimate pain-line. He endured rejection, mockery, injustice, agony and death. And he did it for people who were not naturally seeking him, loving him or thanking him. He did it for the unrighteous. He did it for us.
Why? Because he loves us.
Love is what takes us across the pain-line.
That does not mean we become pushy, insensitive or argumentative. Peter has already told us to answer with gentleness and respect. Nor does it mean we seek suffering for its own sake. Christians are not called to be provocative for the pleasure of being opposed.
But it does mean that love may move us to speak even when it costs us.
Jesus says something similar in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” (Matthew 5:11)
That is not how we naturally think. We tend to assume that if we are being insulted or opposed, something has gone wrong. But Jesus says that opposition for his sake does not mean failure. It may mean faithfulness.
And then Jesus continues:
“You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14,16)
So we do not respond to hostility with hostility. We respond with faithful words and visible love. We speak of Christ, and we keep doing good. We answer with gentleness and respect, and we let our light shine.
This is not easy. But it is the way of Jesus.
Why does God want you to hear this today? Perhaps because there is someone in your life you find difficult to love, or someone whose response you fear. Christ crossed the pain-line for you, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. His love for you can grow in you a love for others — a love willing to pray, speak, serve and shine, even when faith hurts.
Reflect
- Where are you most tempted to stay on the comfortable side of the pain-line when it comes to sharing your faith?
- What does 1 Peter 3:18 teach you about Christ’s love for you, and how might that love reshape your love for others?
- Who might need to see both your words about Jesus and your good deeds done in his name?
Action
Think of one person who is currently unreceptive, indifferent or even hostile to Christian faith.
Pray for them today, and then complete this sentence:
“One small act of love I could show them is…”
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring me to God. Forgive me when I love my comfort more than I love others. Fill me again with your love, so that I may speak of you with gentleness and respect, do good even when misunderstood, and let my light shine for the glory of my Father in heaven. Amen.
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