Unmerited Love
The Third of John’s Gospel presents us with what is likely the most beloved and quoted of all passages. Verse Sixteen tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Yet, among those in the world that God loved were those so overtaken by malice that they would curse the deaf, trip the blind, oppress the poor, murder the innocent, and generally hate their brethren. Those loved of God included the most unlovable. In order to imitate the God of boundless and unconditional love, Christ called upon His audience to turn their left cheek to him who had already smitten the right one. True to His own doctrine, the Savior asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Humanity typically bestows love upon those who seem to have earned it. God’s love, like his grace, is unmerited.
Written by David Hayes Prophater