Those Annoying People

‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ Matthew 22:36-40 NIV

The greatest commandment given by Jesus can be summed up neatly in the paraphrased words, “Love God, Love Others” but that is easier said than done, and we all know that truth. This begs the question: Who are those ‘other neighbours’? It is easy to love those who love us back. You could even say it is easy to love those we don’t even know, like the starving and abused of the world.

It is another matter entirely to love those who hate you. In our modern social media age we can become the subject of deliberate hate mail, and since we are told to love others by Jesus, we must comply. This can be made easier because the people who hate us, are unknown to us too! These haters are sitting behind a keyboard, so we are let off the hook again. We don’t have to prove our love then, do we?

Ah, but what about the really tough ones? Like that coworker or friend we know so well, and they always rub you up the wrong way and have an opinion which is always right, on everything? They will contradict you and always seem to know everything better that you, and not only that, they will quote chapter and verse for anything and everything straight out of the Bible and the top of their head. They can be confrontational, unreasonable, and irritating. Get the picture? What is the commandment, straight from our Lord, Master, and Saviour? Yes, love them.

I suggest that this last type of ‘others’ is the toughest category to love, even more than your worst enemy, and the reason is obvious. They are always right there in front of you to be confronted and challenged, so cannot be ignored. Love and grace are inextricably linked, and seen best in the life of Jesus, so in these and every case, we must show grace, that same love and grace of God which transcends any negative action of the irritating, unlovely and unloving.