DEFORMED BECAUSE OF LOVE

DEFORMED BECAUSE OF LOVE

Photo credit: My shorttakes.com

I’m confused trying to wrap my head around this whole issue of love. I don’t seem to get it; whether to run into it or away from it anytime I see it.  Run away and your life is miserable, run into it and loved ones make it miserable.

We have heard of people who committed suicide because the bridge of love which leads to happiness failed them along the way. Some fortunate ones only went mad with dying hopes of recovery; others have also given up on life leaving everything to chance. They care less about what happens; be it good or bad. My question is: why is this so?

As I listened to my pastor preach on Sunday about JESUS. He drew my mind to some interesting things CHRIST had to live with because of the love HE had for mankind.

From biblical descriptions and history, our saviour JESUS was beaten to the point of deformity where you couldn’t make out HIS face, which is not even my point. Glory be to GOD that our JESUS resurrected on the 3^rd day after burial to fulfill HIS purpose and calling on earth.

The bible also gives account of HIS life after resurrection where HE did many wonders. In one of these accounts, HE visited HIS disciples in the absence of Thomas, one of the disciples, who upon hearing the news of the visit doubted what his fellow disciples disclosed to him.

JESUS visited the second time when Thomas was present among the disciples. HE beckoned unto him to come feel the marks on HIS hands, thrusting his hands into HIS sides.

“Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).

What beats my human thinking is the fact that the life HE lived after resurrection was quite different from that of before.

 For example, before HIS death, HE would enter through the door into a room which was the norm. After resurrection, HE appeared in a room without using the door, pointing out the kind and level of life HE was living; this was proof that HE was indeed a new man now.

CHRIST changed HIS approach to matters after resurrection. HE even changed HIS countenance. Mary spotted HIM at the cemetery and thought HIM to be the gardener until HE revealed HIMSELF unto her as JESUS.

“JESUS said unto her, woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposing HIM to be the gardener, saith unto HIM, sir, if thou have borne HIM hence tell me where thou hast laid HIM, and I will take HIM away” (John 20:15 KJV)

Interestingly, what CHRIST couldn’t change about HIMSELF after resurrection were the marks inflicted upon HIM as a result of the harsh maltreatment HE received from the roman soldiers. HOW DO I KNOW THIS? In John 20:27, HE called upon Thomas to reach out his hand thrusting it through HIS sides indicating that the deformities from the scourge were still with HIM.

Now this is the power of love: the deformities HE incurred because of love were still with HIM even after resurrection when a lot about HIM had changed.

Indeed LOVE is a powerful tool, because GOD is love and love is GOD.