Loving the unlovable...

Over the past couple of years, I have a co-worker that throws me under the bus…and then drives over me…and then backs up the bus and to drive over me a second time…AND THEN has the nerve to come back around and be all friendly and smiling.  It’s almost as if after the running over and re-running over, the driver of the bus asks if I would like to go to Red Mango to cheer me up.  Seriously! 

Each time I am thrown under the bus, I am surprised.  Why I am surprised is beyond me.

Yesterday I was thrown under the bus.  And again, I was surprised.

I went online and searched “How to love the unlovely” because I am in need of some encouragement and help in dealing with this situation.  As I read, I was reminded of the Sunday school lesson I taught just 2 days prior – The Good Samaritan.  If you aren’t familiar with the story – here’s what happened…

A certain lawyer (I love it that Jesus doesn’t call the guy by name – in the Gospel of Luke it states “A certain lawyer”) came to Jesus and asked what he could do to inherit Eternal life.  Jesus answered him with a question inquiring, “What does the law say? How does the law read?”  The lawyer answered, “’Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.’”  Jesus informed the man that his answer was correct which prompted the lawyer to inquire, “But who is my neighbor?” 

Knowing the heart of the lawyer {and let’s be honest – knowing my heart too}, Jesus went on to share a parable about a certain man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by a band of robbers.  They stole his money and beat him up and left him alongside the road to die.  Robbers exit stage left. 

Along comes a priest.  He sees the injured man and walks past.

Along comes a Levite.  He sees the injured man and walks around him on the other side.

Finally along comes a Samaritan (despised) and he stops and helps the injured man. 

At the end of the parable, Jesus turns to the lawyer and asks, which of the three was neighborly? 

The lawyer responded “the one who showed compassion.”  {The Samaritans were so despised that the lawyer would not answer, “The Samaritan.”}

As I read through the verses and quotes about how to love the unlovely, I began thinking about the Sunday school lesson and my exhortation to the children to love their neighbor…and here I was, literally, not wanting to truly love my neighbor.

It broke my heart that just 48 hours (ok, so maybe it was more like 50+ hours) earlier, I was telling my Sunday school kids that sometimes Jesus calls us to love the unlovely. 

Angie Good, it’s your turn to love the unlovely.  Show mercy and kindness to this person who loves being right more than being kind.  I will choose kindness and mercy and grace not because in my flesh I can do this successfully, but because of God’s amazing grace and mercy that is lavished on me every single moment of every single day.

"To love means loving the unlovable. 

To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. 

Faith means believing the unbelievable. 

Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." 

~ G. K. Chesterton