Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 3:16–18
Currently, I am packing up our home for a long-distance move. After years of patiently waiting for my adult children to leave the nest, I’m surprised by how difficult it is to let go of things as we plan to downsize. Some items feel especially precious: baby blankets that once swaddled my children, family games we enjoyed together, and books that deeply shaped me. Even parting with the adorable kindergarten artwork feels wrong, though I know those sweet images live on in my memory.
As I waver between the give-away and throw-away piles, I realize just how attached I am to my belongings—how hard it is to detach myself from the things that surround me. Still, if I had to choose between my possessions and my family, the choice would be simple. I would give up everything before losing a loved one. While I wrestle with letting go of this home and its memories, I’m reminded in this Sunday's gospel that God willingly goes to even greater lengths for us: He gave up what was most precious to Him—His only Son. These two verses beautifully tell that story—our story.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16–17).
Even though these lines in Scripture are familiar, I’m struck by the cost of God’s love—the beauty of it and the pain—and how closely they are linked. Can you imagine giving up your son? Surrendering him to a world that would treat him so harshly, and still do it knowing the outcome would be his death?
Yet the Father gave His most precious Son up for us—for you, for me, for that crazy lady in the grocery store, for the guy who just cut you off in traffic, for the (fill-in-the-blank) person who drives you crazy. The depths that God reaches to save us are astounding. It is so mind-boggling, I think it’s easier to just gloss over it than to truly comprehend the lengths that He goes to for us.
The lyrics to the song "Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury describe it this way:
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.
Sisters, this is a truly extraordinary love—a love we may not always feel worthy of, yet one that God freely offers to each one of us. This has always been part of God’s plan, and He desires that we know and understand the story of salvation history: how He made a way for Himself to be known, how His love is revealed through Jesus Christ to every generation, and how we can be saved.
Accepting this great love from the Father is another challenge entirely. Why does every heart crave unconditional love yet find it so hard to embrace? Why do we run from it and instead cling to our possessions? Why are we content to settle for so much less? Why do we try to convince ourselves that we are unlovable?
I think that unless we truly know our identity as His beloved daughters, we will always struggle to feel worthy of this kind of love. It is so easy to view our faults and failures as reasons that disqualify us from receiving it. Instead of running to Him and His saving grace, I hide and hunker down. I surround myself with creature comforts to soothe my doubts about whether I am truly worth saving, as I hear the enemy whisper, “Yes, but did He really mean you?”
As I write these words, I’m amazed as the Lord is bringing to mind an image of my insecure teenage self, wearing a pendant a friend gave me in high school. I still have it tucked away in my jewelry box. It says, “I’m worth it.” And I am laughing to myself because the Lord just used something seemingly insignificant that I saved many years ago to show me the truth that I needed to be reminded of today. I am known. I am loved. I am worth saving, and if I were the only person on earth, He would have still gone to the cross for me. And if that truth is true for me, it is true for you, too. What an amazing Savior we have!
Back to my move. Perhaps some of the things I’m struggling to let go of aren’t so insignificant after all. Through one tiny object—my pendant—God found a way to reach my heart and remind me that His love will follow me wherever I go. So if you find yourself in a season of transition—whether it’s packing up your home, clearing out your closets, sending kids on their way, or facing any kind of change—save room in your heart for this breathtaking truth: you are deeply loved by our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, with an overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love. He will leave the ninety-nine to come after you, whether you feel you deserve it or not. He willingly went to the cross for you. You are worth it.
Food for thought or journaling …
How easy is it for you to accept the love of the Father? What creature comforts might be getting in the way?
Father, we are overwhelmed by Your love for us. Thank You for saving us, especially when we don’t feel we deserve it. May we seek You and find You in all the transitions of life. Amen.
