Apr 25 – LOVE YOUR BROTHER !

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17).

Apostles Paul and John have written much about love among brothers. “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:9-10).

Love your brothers, and it will be your strength and glory. When brothers stand united and stand against satan, he will flee from there. One can chase a thousand; and if two brothers are united they will put to flight ten thousand.

There is a Tamil poem which says, ‘It is good to be united; and lack of unity will only cause harm’. Children, it is so very important to preserve unity, oneness of heart and fellowship of love.

In many families, the love among brothers will suddenly vanish, at the time of dividing properties left behind by their parents. In some families, because of the fight among the wives of brothers, there is a friction among the brothers. You need to therefore ensure that the brotherly love and affection is never diminished.

We all have a loving elder brother in Christ Jesus. The Scripture says that He was never ashamed to call us as His own brothers (Hebrews 2:11). Once Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).

Although each one of us may have been born in different parts of the world; may have grown up in different places, when we come unto the Cross where our elder brother Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for our sake, we feel that all of us have been redeemed by the same blood; and belong to the same heavenly family; and that all believers are our own brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Scripture says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! For there the Lord commanded the blessing – Life forevermore” (Psalm 133:1,3).

In many families there is no harmony or fellowship among siblings; all they have is only fights and discords; which spoil their whole lives. Cain was jealous about his own brother and killed him. Esau hated his brother Jacob. The Scripture says, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

Verse for further meditation: “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17).