MacDonald: reasonable love?

Sunday, June 1, 2014
    Feast of Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165
    Commemoration of Angela de Merici, Founder of the Institute of St. Ursula, 1540
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “... I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...”
    —Matthew 5:44 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Is it then reasonable to love our enemies? God does; therefore it must be the highest reason. But is it reasonable to expect that man should become capable of doing so? Yes; on one ground: that the divine energy is at work in man, to render at length man’s doing divine as his nature is. For this our Lord prayed when he said: “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.” Nothing could be less likely to human judgment: our Lord knows that one day it will come.
    ... George MacDonald (1824-1905), “Love Thine Enemy”, in Unspoken Sermons [First Series], London: A. Strahan, 1867, p. 218-219 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 5:43-48; Pr. 25:21; Luke 6:27-29,35; John 17:20-21; Rom. 5:10; 12:14,20-21; 1 Pet. 2:23; 3:9
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have loved us when we were Your enemies. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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