No Greater Love

 

 John 3: 16-21

 Living By The Truth

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

 John 3: 16 is often tauted on posters at televised sports events with good intent, but most people do not know the actual verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." How great God's love is for us that he would send Jesus who emptied himself totally for us to show that love and assure us that in all circumstances it is with us. Truly there is no greater love than this. God set the pattern of love for us; our role is now to live it, to put the needs and lives of others before ours and to lay down our lives for them. The Truth is that  in our own "dying" we give life to others and rise to eternal life.  A pretty good  "deal". 

Bro. Rene

Lord Jesus, we have done many things that we are ashamed of, things that we would prefer be kept hidden. Yet we also need to remember that no sin is greater than your love for us. So please grant us the courage to stop hiding and come out into the light of your forgiveness and mercy. Amen.

Rev. Herbert Yost, C.S.C.