Misunderstood Love

Misunderstood Love

What is the opposite of love? As many have aptly observed, it’s not hate, but apathy. Just not caring at all about people is worse in some ways than feeling hatred toward them. One must care on a certain level in order to hate. Not caring at all can be, and often is, worse.

That may explain why love is sometimes misinterpreted as hatred. It sheds light on how a person can see a loving act as a hateful one. Because love and hate are so closely related, we can begin to understand why people were threatened by Christ, to the point of trying to get rid of Him. His care for them was what got Him into trouble. If only He hadn’t cared so much. Apathy might have kept Him from the cross.

Indeed, God’s immeasurable love for mankind caused Him to send His only begotten Son to face a cruel death on our behalf. But that love can also be seen in the fact that God has revealed Himself and His plan for man’s salvation through the pages of His written Word, the Bible. Yet, as loving as that is, today the Bible is being labeled “hate speech” by some, while laws are being written to silence those who teach and preach it. It’s another irony of misunderstood love. If only the Bible were a neutral, benign, self-help manual that Oprah could push on her show and kids could freely study in school, more people might be willing to read it.

Wait a minute, if apathy is the opposite of love, then not caring enough to include important information about morality and eternal life in the Bible would have been a worse-than-hateful thing to do. Yet, it gets people “outraged.” In fact, that’s how one morning TV talk show host recently characterized some people’s response to the fact that the Bible teaches that those apart from Christ won’t go to heaven. They get outraged when we tell them the truth. If we could just keep our mouths shut about that stuff, more people might like us. If only we didn’t care so much.

The problem is that we actually believe what Christ said and did. And if it is true; if you truly believe, there’s no room for apathy. Imagine if you knew for a fact that your neighbor’s house was about to explode. Not caring enough to tell him to get out would be worse than hateful.

Regardless of his response, you must tell him. So, he gets outraged; big deal. Just let him know that you didn’t hate him enough to not tell him. Maybe it was even love that drove you. Whatever your motivation for sharing the truth, outrage seems an odd response.

Let’s take the explosive house analogy a little further. Let’s say your neighbor doesn’t believe you. Maybe he suspects you of having questionable motives for trying to get him to believe his home is about to blow up. Perhaps he thinks you plan to steal something or get him out of the house so you can watch his new 103” plasma TV. So, now you’re forced to prove you know what you’re talking about. You need to provide evidence that you’re actually there to save him.

“See that dead plant in the corner?” you ask. “Of course,” replies your neighbor, “I haven’t watered that one in months.” Then you say, “Watch this…” and with a wave of your hand the plant springs to life, lush, green and obviously healthy. How fast would that former skeptic vacate the premises? He’d be gone in a flash and he’d be eternally grateful for your loving act, especially after the house goes ka-boom!

God tells us about heaven and warns about hell because He loves us. He’s not apathetic or deterred if people get outraged. For the skeptics, He proves He knows what He’s talking about. In effect, He says, “See my dead Son over there? Watch this…”

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” ─Romans 10:9 NKJV