A few months ago Patrick Greene was an atheist who was threatening to sue Henderson County, Texas, if the county didn't remove a Nativity scene from its courthouse lawn. Today he is a believer in Christ who underwent a radical change of heart that was catalyzed by the compassion of one Christian woman. -- Christian Post, April 4, 2012

Patrick Greene is going blind, but a Christian woman sought her pastor and church’s help in bringing help and comfort to him and, as a result, all those questions he had about the inadequacies of his world view came into sharp focus and he found God. Yesterday we examined briefly the philosophical and intellectual arguments for the existence of God and concluded that the best affirmation of Elohim are personal ones.

Most people come to faith in God due to personal encounters rather than impersonal arguments. In the Old Testament God revealed himself in various ways to the people of the covenant. Later peoples came to faith by remembering how God had revealed himself to their ancestors. Then God did something really different and became a man to dwell among us. He showed himself to us for one purpose, to reveal his love for humankind. Jesus was born, lived, died and resurrected to reveal his love for us, and in the revelation he opened a door that allows us to experience his love more and more every day. It’s not just theology, it’s a very real and present affection.

Jesus completed the first part of his revelation when he left the tomb, the second part is yet to come and in between it is up to us to be the love of God. I want to look at one of Jesus’s warnings in a different way than you have probably heard it explained before.

In his teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ property, and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

Jesus is not talking about simple religious leaders; he is warning the disciples about the men Israel entrusted to teach God’s word. Their sins were numerous and Jesus reveals a few of them but the root sin in these men’s lives is that they were more concerned with law than with love, more concerned with their reputation than with God’s. How could they possibly miss the greatest commandment? Look at how Jesus handles one such expert in Luke chapter ten:

Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

The entire law, that which required animal sacrifice to cover the sins of the people, hinged on loving God and loving others. Want more evidence? One final passage before we wrap this up tomorrow: “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6.27-28). Love your enemies, just like the woman in Texas who loved even an atheist.