Wednesday 1 November 2017

With their mouths they show love

So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. – Ezekiel 33.31

‘Be ye doers of the word, and not just hearers’ James writes. John says that our love should not be in word only, but in deed and in truth. The people of Israel were full of words of love, but nothing was in their hearts. God said of the people ‘they sit before you as My people, they hear your words, but they don’t do them. With their mouths they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gains.’

Love talk is cheap. It is easy to talk about love and sing about love and all that but it when it comes down to actually acting in love it is much harder. Love means action. Love means we keep loving even when people are unlovable. The ultimate standard for love is this; greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. Our love in action should be such that we put ourselves last. Love means time and effort and sacrifice. True love is not only words and songs – true love is action.

Ezekiel hints at what prevents true love here when he says ‘they show great love with their mouths, but…’ That but makes all the difference in the world, …but their heart pursue their own gain.’

It is the pursuit of our ‘own gain’ that keep us from loving the way we should. Love in action may at times require great things, but sometimes love in action is cleaning the toilet or emptying the dishwasher or making an early morning airport run or minding the kid or making a hospital visit or bringing home some flowers or any number of simple every day love actions. It is listening to a friend when we have other things to do. It is making a phone call we don’t want to make. It is being rejected and still loving.

Love God and love others. That’s how Jesus summarised God’s plan for us.


How is our loving? 

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