Daily Devotional for August 1, 2021
Jesus Loves Everyone, and You Should Too
“Hi, Mom!” exclaimed Rylee as she placed her backpack on the kitchen counter.
“Hi, Rylee. How was your first day of Bible camp?” Mom asked as she cut carrots and put them in the stew she was making.
“It was great! We swam in the lake, went down the small waterslide, and ziplined. After that, we had Bible class.”
“That sounds like fun!” said Mom. “What did you learn about in Bible class?”
“Well,” said Rylee, “one of the counselors taught us about a man in the Bible named Zacchaeus, and how Jesus wanted to go to his house to eat even though Zacchaeus had done many bad things. He also talked about how Jesus loves everyone, and that’s why we should love others, even our enemies.” Rylee frowned. “I don’t really understand what that has to do with Zacchaeus though. Anyway, we learned a new Bible verse—Mark 12:31. It goes like this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“That verse you learned tells us how to love others like God does,” Mom explained. “It doesn’t say, ‘Love your best friend’ or ‘Only love your family.’ The Bible says to love everyone—even our enemies—because Jesus loves each one of us the way He loved Zacchaeus. You see, Zacchaeus was a tax collector who collected money from the citizens for the government. Nobody liked him because in Jesus’ day, tax collectors took as much money as they wanted for themselves most of the time. He was a thief in the eyes of the people.”
“But Jesus forgave him?” asked Rylee.
Mom nodded. “Even though Zacchaeus was a sinner, Jesus loved him, and He even wanted to eat lunch at Zacchaeus’ house! And even though we’ve sinned, Jesus loves us and wants to have a relationship with us too. That’s why He tells us to show love and compassion to all our neighbors—because He loved us when we were sinners like Zacchaeus.”
“Wow! I never thought of it that way,” Rylee said as she started helping Mom with the celery. “Jesus wanting to eat with Zacchaeus shows how much He loves all of us.” She grinned. “Speaking of eating, that stew smells good!” -Evelyn Cardriche
How about you?
Do you find it hard to love some people? Maybe it’s the new kid at school or an older sibling who picks on you. No matter who your neighbors are, remember that Jesus loves everyone—He shows each one of us kindness and compassion even though we’ve all sinned against Him. Trust Him to help you love others, even when it’s hard.
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