Intolerant Love

From James at Mere Comments, “the path from toleration seems to lead to acceptance and then to endorsement and to the intolerance of opposing views.”

I find myself getting more ‘tolerant’ with each passing day … that is a good thing – right? After all isn’t that part of loving each other … accepting our differences. Well, I’m not sure. Here is a story from the New Testament:

As Jesus was starting on his way again, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; do not cheat; respect your father and your mother.' " "Teacher," the man said, "ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments." Jesus looked straight at him with love and said, "You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me." When the man heard this, gloom spread over his face, and he went away sad, because he was very rich.

Did you catch how Jesus looked at the man? It says that He looked at him with love then told the man something that he did not want to hear. Jesus knew this man and He was not tolerant of the man’s love of money. Jesus loved this man enough to tell him the truth about his heart.

When Christians look at people with a real love motive they will often speak truth that comes across as intolerance … but it is nonetheless truth ... and it must be spoken with and in love.