Relationship (2)

As we have looked recently at Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus said,

“I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these my brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.”

I find Jesus’ choice of words interesting, given that he never wasted his words on meaningless chatter. He said, “...these brothers and sisters of mine…” He was identifying those around him, (and us) as his close relatives.

Let’s look at relationships a bit closer.

Firstly, we need to recognise that humans were created to be in relationship. In Genesis 2:18, God said that it was not good for human beings to be alone. I apologise to all you animal lovers out there, but God recognised that humans could never reach their full potential by just having animals as their counterparts. (Gen 2:20)

The story tells us how God wove humanity together is a way that brings the full potential of one human out when in relationship with another human. Each complements the other such that the sum of the two in relationship is greater than the sum of the two individuals.

But there was a counterbalance to those human relationships. It was that they could only be formed successfully when there was a relationship with God. Their individual relationship with God acted as a way of stopping domination, abuse and selfishness coming into their relationships.

That is why Jesus said that the greatest commandment was:

‘Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all

your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

You cannot do the second without doing the first, its not possible.

As we know, when the first humans turned their back on God, their own relationship was the first to suffer, and it soon affected all others.

Jesus described our relationships as brothers and sisters, bound by his blood rather than human parents. Which also makes God our Father, just as Jesus referred to Him as Father.

Our day to day relationships are so often formed by appearance .. “He fancied her” or “I don’t like the look of him”. As the old saying goes, “You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.”

God did not choose us by our looks (thank goodness!), rather he looked at our hearts and their attention to him. God said to Samuel,

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

We don’t have the choice to pick and choose those in the Kingdom of God that we will love or care for. Just as in a natural family, a brother gains a brother or sister by the same mother giving birth, so we are all brothers and sisters because we have the same Heavenly Father who gave us each new life.

By the way, it is nonsense to say, “I can love them but I don’t have to like them”. If you don’t like them, there is no chance you will love them!

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that they were to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. He then goes on to say, love them more and more!

A relationship with a brother or sister is different to that of a friend. There is a deeper bond, We tolerate behaviours in our family that we would not tolerate in friends. We are more likely to forgive family than we would friends.

But, we can be more deeply hurt by family than we can by friends. That is why Paul said in v6

In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. (1 Thess 4:6)

We have something very precious here, we have a family of brothers and sisters, and a Father who loves us. We are not a group of old school friends, or simply people with a common interest, we are family.

I urge you brothers and sisters to look at one another with your eyes opened. See them as your family, as your brothers and sisters.

When you do that, you will relate to them differently. It is then that Matthew 25 will make sense:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’ (Matthew 25:35-40)