"Jesus loves me this I know." Generations of little children have sung this song. Thoughtful Theologians have pondered its truth. I visit with, and hold a small "church" service for a group of seniors at an assisted living facility. Jesus Loves Me is clearly one of their favorite songs.
I have sung it, led it, and listened to it thousands of times. The question is: Do I really believe it?
Here is what I mean. If I take the song in the Biblical context in which it resides, it is clear that the song proclaims a reality, that is communicated by a companion song. "Jesus loves the little children, all the children . . ." God doesn't love me because I'm nice, or American, or white, or smart, or in light of my sterling record. I suppose I ought to amend the song--at least adding a few words in my head. "Jesus loves me, and you, this I know."
I read an interesting blog this morning that placed two Bible writers side by side, though they lived a thousand years apart. John gets this Jesus loves me thing. He knows because he knows that Jesus loves, period. (See1 John 4:8, 16, & 17) He appears to be amazed that, "Jesus loves me, and if loves me, I see no reason to doubt His love for you."
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:10-11)
Jonah on the other hand, while enjoying the benefits of being part of a nation that was benefiting from God's love, wondered that God could love the likes of the Ninevites. There he was sitting under the shade of his gourd plant (KJV) about to go out of his gourd because it appeared that God loved them as well as him. (Jonah 4)
It doesn't work musically, but I'm going to start singing in my head, "Jesus loves, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
STTA.
Here is a simple presentation of the truth that flows from God's love.
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