Unlovable.

(Jerusalem, amazing.)

I seem to find people all the time who are unlovable.  Sometimes they are immature, or selfish, other times they are just plain annoying.  What does that mean?  Shouldn’t we who call ourselves “Christians” be able to love all people at all times?

(donkey on the Mount of Olives, just like the one JESUS rode, I am sure.)

Listening to sermons on Palm Sunday, everyone was talking about Jesus, and rightly so.  But, they seemed to dwell on the “whole-God” side of Him, leaving out the “whole – human” side.  The preachers spoke of people laying down Palm braches, and clothes as Jesus rode victoriously into Jerusalem on the donkey.  The preachers said our God is so awesome that even if there had been no people to praise and worship Him, the Rocks would have cried out! How awesome. 

But, my favorite part of the story is right below the palm branch scene.  Luke 19:41-44 – “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it…”  He we wept because He knew the city was going to be destroyed.  He wept because Israel didn’t recognize Him, “because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

(Window of the church that marks the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, beautiful.)

Whole-human.  Jesus wept over unfaithful, selfish, unlovable people.  He wept over people who were plotting to kill Him.

Once inside Jerusalem, He prepared the “Last Supper” for the Passover meal.  He sat down with his best friends and most faithful followers, His disciples. 

There, He foretold Judas’ betrayal.  And Jesus loved Judas and invited him to eat anyway. 

Then, “A dispute arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.” The night Jesus was going to be arrested and become a sacrifice as atonement for all of our sins, the very people Jesus was going to die for were selfish, prideful and ungrateful.  And Jesus loved them anyways, inviting them to eat and drink at His table.

Jesus foretold Peter’s denial, and Jesus loved Peter and ate dinner with Him anyway. 

(Gethsemane)

And then Jesus gave His friends one last chance to show their faithfulness, asking them to pray for Him in Gethsemane.  And we all know what happened, they were too tired, or too lazy to be faithful, and they simply fell asleep when Jesus needed them most.

(Gethsemane again.)

And Jesus loved them anyway. 

Jesus endured mockery, slander, betrayal, brutal beatings and last the cross for them, and for us.  He showed perfect love, unconditional love, to an unlovable world.   We are unworthy of His sacrifice, even the disciples proved to be unworthy. 

If this is how God can love them, and how God can love me, as unlovable as I am, how much more should I try to love those who I find to be “unlovable” around me?

This morning, I was honored to have a chance to talk about Africa at a Jr. High School FCA meeting.  I challenged them to try to love the “unlovable people” in their lives.  I showed pictures of THE easiest people to love, the orphans at Beacon House.  These are people who are easy to love, but there are also people who make it really hard.  Though reading about Christ's example, I am challenged to put my pride and laziness or whatever to the side, so that I can love the unlovable.  Just as Christ loves unlovable me.

I spent the afternoon with Elizabeth, running errands and getting ready for Saturday! The Farm is starting to look really nice - they are setting up the tents and chairs already!  I have also spent hours trying to put pictures up on this!!! I don't know what is wrong - I will try to add some later.  I have some really cute ones of friends and the sisters!