It is the addict. The parent that rejected you. The challenging teenager. The sibling that always seems to be against you. The snob. The abuser. Those who offend children. Your ex. The alcoholic. The unapologetic gossip. The person that always has to “one up” you. The one that hurts and never apologizes. The boss that never seems to give you a break. It's every person that causes a visceral reaction by their sin and ignites a flesh reaction while diminishing our spirit reaction. No matter who you are, we all have someone like this in our life.

The problem with unlovable people in our lives is we tend to justify our own unloving attitudes toward them due to their behavior. We justify a lack of compassion, empathy, and grace because of the havoc and dysfunction they bring into our lives. We might even look down our noses a little at them, somehow thinking we are “better” because we do not do whatever fill in the blank sin that they do. Let us be honest-we all have done it at some point. Do not get me wrong, a righteous anger is not wrong or sinful. Remember how Jesus angrily overturned the tables in the temple? Loving God and hating what is offensive to Him is not wrong. Loving purity, peace and righteousness is not wrong, But, somewhere in the relationship with an unlovable person, we begin to identify them by their sin. We start losing love for them because their sin is so challenging to us. When we see them, we see them as someone who causes hurt, dysfunction, discord. Consequently, we want nothing to do with that. Our hearts become closed to them, and pretty soon, we have trouble understanding how Jesus could love and forgive them.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us that we have a high priest that is sympathetic with our weakness, and in all ways was tempted as we are, yet was without sin. He gets it. He understands our frustration and anger with people. He understands our temptation to turn away from and close our hearts to the difficult and unlovable people. He understands that our gut reaction is to not love our neighbor due to their ugliness. But remember friend, he died for the ugly sin of man. Loving someone who is unlovable does not mean you condone their behavior or agree with their values and beliefs. It means something so much deeper. How can we bridge the great divide from unloving to loving the unlovable?

Jesus commanded us to love one another as He has loved us (John 13: 34-35) and by this love, we will be known as His disciples. That scripture then begs the question-just how did Jesus love us? We all know this story-He loved us enough to die on cross for our sin. He loved us enough to save us. But really think about this, and do not allow yourself to gloss this over in your mind. He sacrificed himself not for a perfect people, but an imperfect people. An imperfect you. He

sacrificed himself knowing your every flaw, mistake, lie, and sin. He willingly went to the cross for you. And that person that drives you absolutely insane? Yes, for them too. The same Jesus that died for you also died for that unlovable person in your life.

You see, loving someone in Christ does not mean you agree with them, or that you even like them. What it does mean is that you can look at them and see the precious sacrifice of Christ. You look at them and understand that an unlovable person is loved by the God of Creation, and by a Risen Savior. You look at them and suddenly see yourself in that lost and broken person. You see your sin in their ugliness. You realize just how unlovable you were before the God of Glory came down to bear your shame. Then, and only then, can a godly love begin to unfold in your heart., and you begin to catch a glimpse of what laying down your life for another means. That is love.

Jesus on the cross is every act of forgiveness, grace, mercy and love rolled into one dark day on Calvary. Let all that we do reflect His beautiful sacrifice for us, an unlovable people.