Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

Some loved him while others hated him.

Some thought he should be silenced while others wanted him to speak louder and longer.

Some saw him as a troublemaker while others saw him as a prophetic voice needed for this generation.

Some only saw his color while others saw his heart.

Some thought his assassination would end his influence but as almost always happens, his death solidified his vision and called others to follow that vision with greater resolve.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In some ways Christian behavior

seems so simple. Jesus gave us the Golden Rule:

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31 (NRSV)

Jesus gave us the two great commandments upon which all other rules and commands hinge:

‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18). On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:34-40

But, just like the lawyer that Jesus spoke with in Luke 10:25ff, we attempt to justify our choices to not love. We have all the reasons in the world to not love someone different than me. We use reasons such as age, sexuality, color, nationality, religion, race, political party, … Even though we are to be “wise and serpent but gentle as doves” (Matthew 10:16), and I believe we should maintain this balance in all areas of life, individually and corporately, the Lord never lifts the command to love.

And so, on this day, January 18, 2021, Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, I challenge us to not lose sight of the greatest challenge of all, Jesus’ challenge to all who claim his name and follow him:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

And, let us hear the words of MLK from one of his many sermons when he said:

“I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope:

The Essential Writings and speeches

Amen.

Pastor Paul