Lawlessness And Love (Matthew 24:12)

 


Friday, 14 November, 2025


Psalm 34

2 Kings 18:1-16

Matthew 24:1-14


Lawlessness And Love (Matthew 24:12)


And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.


“Love” is one of those words that has been made to mean whatever we want it to mean. But just because we want something to be so, doesn’t make it so.


In the context of Jesus teaching his disciples to not worry about the specific calendar date of the new creation, he makes this comment about the relationship between lawlessness and love – or, more precisely, how the two are mutually exclusive.


If this seems strange, then that probably has something to do with the fact that we live down-stream of the “free love” movement: that idea that suggests love is true when it is unbound. But Jesus seems to imply the opposite. There is some sort of consistency between lawfulness and love, and when one is lost, so too goes the other.


I suppose it comes back to the paradox of true love, that to truly experience love, one must deny themselves for the sake of the beloved. And this is the pattern set down by Jesus. He loved us so much that he gave up everything, even his own life, for our sake. And we do this ourselves all the time, when we do something for someone else, simply because we want to make them happy. When we make the one that we love happy, we make ourselves happy.


There is some sort of link between lawfulness and love. An increase of one is an increase of the other. And love is exemplified when it does something for someone else, and is fulfilled when both rejoice in it.


Where might your increase your obedience to the Lord? How might that increase your love for him?


Christ Jesus, your works of love for us are our example and our salvation: give us hearts to follow you, that they may be enflamed in the warmth of your love, and our joy may be made complete.

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