"Love Covers It!" Matthew 5:38-42 Word of Grace Devotion.

1/5/2015

The Word of Grace Devotion for the Week of January 5, 2015

Love Covers It!

Matthew 5:38-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

Beloved, this morning’s reading was so intensely full with application that I was not certain which Scripture to pull for my devotion. From the Beatitudes to loving your enemy, Matthew 5 was loaded! However, I choose a portion of Scripture that many of us struggle with, that of being taken advantage of.

Beloved, it is difficult for us to respond with God’s love when we are being taken advantage of. In fact we often do not respond we REACT! If someone slaps us on the right cheek, we slap him right back. If someone takes away our tunic, we take it back and slap him as well. It is difficult to respond with love when we are attacked.

However, Jesus tells us that in Matthew 5:39-40, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.”

Beloved, the practical application for us requires that we be actively involved in leading this person closer to Christ. Sometimes we do need to respond with Grace upon Grace rather than with self-righteousness. And because of the Holy Spirit living within us we can respond with grace, love, and mercy simply because Christ did the same for us as Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Here are a couple of other Scriptures, which may help:

1 Peter 4:8- “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Proverbs 10:12- “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”

Beloved, I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you! Remember, love covers it!

In Him,

Pastor Joe

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Senior Pastor
Joe Marquez

Beloved, we are soon to once again celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the human Son of man and the divine Son of God. He is one hundred percent human and one hundred percent God.

While there were many people instrumental in the birth of Christ, this morning we will look at His birth through the eyes of Joseph, His legal father. There is not too much known about the man who would care for Christ as He grew up. We know that Joseph was possibly a carpenter but most importantly we know that he was a righteous man who did the right thing.

When others would have ran away from a responsibility that was not even their own, Joseph stood steadfast and remained faithful to the end. We can learn much from his character and apply his attributes of faithfulness, purity, and perseverance to our own lives.

May you have a Blessed Christmas week and may Christ always be at the center of your lives!

P.S. Come back this evening as we look at the birth of Christ through the Gospel of Luke!