Discovering Love (Part Two) – A Victorious Loser

What a paradox love is! So many times it seems to be the “loser”, and yet something tells us that in the end it will win.

Jesus loves the Pharisees, the scribes, the ordinary people, yet many of their stony hearts block out his voice. By Good Friday the apostles have ceased their cries of Hosanna, and now the “stones” cry out, “Crucify him!” Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem, his aching heart longing to gather the people together and raise them up to Heaven. In response, the city raises him on a cross. Love seems to be the loser.

How many hours does Christ spend loving the 12 apostles, forming their hearts and minds and revealing your love to them as intimate friends? Countless hours, for sure! And yet, in the hour of greatest need, 11 out of the 12 betray him: one out of greed and ten out of fear. Love seems to be the loser.

But the thing is, love isn’t measured by the human eye, but by the eyes of the heart. “Still,” you may ask, “how then does love win?!?” Love wins because…nothing can stop it. True love wins because it is not of this world. It is supernatural. So it is patient when others explode with anger and frustration. It is kind when others are indifferent. It forgives when it seems utterly impossible to forget the wrong committed. True love believes, hopes, and endures when all others have sunk into despair. And this love is the love of Christ.

The Christ who was crucified by our sin, our hate, indifference, fear, greed, distrust, ingratitude, and despair, this same Christ conquers all these things by his steadfast love. A love so strong not even death can smother it. And so, after he was crucified, and it seemed that death had the last word after all, he rose. And the “loser label” that had mocked love for so long melted away as quickly as the dew on the grass that morning of the Resurrection.

True love never fails because it’s not us who love; it is Christ’s love in us, and Christ himself loving through us. With Christ as our friend, savior, and leader, the “losing” love conquers all. This is the love we must imitate. We must become victorious losers with Christ!