Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
Jesus calls us to love one another with the love with which he first loved us. He calls us to choose to love even when it isn't the easy choice. He insists that we love despite opposition from the world or even opposition from within our own souls.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
"There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
The world desperately needs love. After all, how many people do we see who are spiritually bent over, completely incapable of standing erect? If we really look, the number is more than a few. How can we withhold the love that will enable them to stand up straight and glorify God? Society criticize when or how we choose to share this love. But as long as we remember that what we want to share truly is the healing power of God we will not let society stop us.
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,
that is, an idolater,
has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
It's easy to put the blame on society when we don't share the love God gives us. But the problem is more often in our own hearts. We're too distracted by immoral, impure, or greedy desires. When we are preoccupied with modern forms of idolatry we demand sacrifices to appease our idols rather than ourselves becoming offerings with fragrant aromas.
no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,
but instead, thanksgiving.
If we want to live a walk of love it should be reflected in our speech. Our daily conversation ought to be compatible with our stated purpose of being agents of love. Yet, even if it isn't an outright contradiction is it at best a distraction? The content of our speech is actually a great measure of just how distracted we are. If it is so empty how can we hope to show love in our actions? What does Scripture suggest instead ought to fill, not just our minds, but our speech? Thanksgiving!
This is what it means to be in the light of the LORD. We must live as children of the light in which we live fully committed to the same walk of love that Jesus himself demonstrated.
Behave like God as his very dear children.
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