It Breaks Your Heart To Love The Lost

As Christians we are told to turn the other cheek, when someone hurts you. (Matt. 5:19)

What if the hurt hasn't stopped hurting?

Peter once asked Jesus, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matt. 18:21-22)

What if the number exceeds 7 x 70?

Elsewhere, Jesus told his disciples, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matt. 6:14-15)

What if they are unrepentant and will no doubt do-it again and again?

What if the person who is hurting you; is your brother, sister, a parent or spouse?  People who aren't supposed to hurt us and yet they go on hurting us?

God gave me the answer: “It breaks your heart to love the lost.”

When we envision Christ on the cross, we see and feel the physical pain that he suffered.  But when God showed me the cross in light of these dilemmas, He showed me a Savior whose face expressed the pain of the cross, but it wasn't physical pain that I saw, but rather, the pain of a broken heart.

In his dying breath Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, 

for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:24)

To be a child of God, we are called to love the lost no matter how bad it hurts.  When you can’t find it in your heart to forgive, just remember: “It breaks your heart to love the lost.”

And so, we can forgive, when the lost breaks our hearts, because that is what the lost do, and at one time or another and another we broke Jesus’ heart, and He still forgave us.

Praise His Holy Name!