Lent: Day 38

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-14
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”–RSV

How often have you found yourself in a conversation with someone who believes, with great conviction, that God has chosen some to be saved and others to be lost?

While this issue has engaged Christians on both sides for many years, there are no more convincing words to bring to the discussion than Jesus’ own: “It is not God’s will that even one shall be lost.”

If we miss God’s loving gift, and it is a gift, it is not by God’s will or design, but by some human failure – perhaps on the part of the hearer or on the part of we who are called spread the ‘good news.’

There is nothing more inclusive than God’s love – or anything more selective than our response to God and our concern for others.

How many does God love? – The whole world. – Read John 3:16.

How many does God wish to be lost? – Not even one! The rest is up to us.