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Articles
Unrequited Love
One of life's great tragedies is the story of unrequited love. Human literature is full of
it. Shakespeare's King Lear lavished love upon an unloving daughter and ignored a
daughter who loved him truly. The basis of romantic tragedy is the story of true devotion
and loyal love unrepaid. In real life, the love of devoted children for selfish, uncaring
parents is a heart-rending story. Equally sad is the account of loving parents' sacrifices
for children who then show their disregard for their parents by neglecting, disobeying,
scorning, and repudiating them. Righteous indignation is aroused against those who are
unthankful and unloving.
The greatest story of love is the account of God's loving provisions for mankind. He
created mankind, blessed them with the provisions of life, and instructed them in right
living. When they erred, He corrected them and reasoned with them (Genesis 4:1-7; 6:3;
Isaiah 1: 16-20). He planned for their redemption, and in the proper time He sent His own
Son into the world to suffer and die as a sacrifice for the redemption of transgressors
(Isaiah 53:8,12). Through the gospel of His Son, He has taught mankind how to repay
that love that reached so far and provided for so many.
The greatest tragedy is the story of God's love unrequited. With unthankful hearts,
the many have continued their blind pursuit of life's lusts, hopes, and pleasures, and have
continued to bear the burdens they themselves have heaped upon themselves by their
errors. They have turned their backs toward God, refusing to hear Him, ungrateful and
unloving (Romans 1 :21, 28-31). An often-ignored part of this tragedy is the pretended
love professed by some who continue in their willful ways while claiming to love God.
They say, "Lord, Lord", but do not do what He says (Luke 6:46).
Listen to God as He speaks about love: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10). "We
love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4: 19). "Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I
command you" (John 15:13,14). "For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments" (I John 5:3). "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is He
who loves Me" (John 14:21). Please note that He did not exclude any of His
commandments, including baptism for the forgiveness of sins and assembling with the
saints (Acts 2:38; Hebrews 10:25). "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother,
he is a liar" (I John 4:20,21). "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but
in deed and in truth" (I John 3:18). Let us be no part of the greatest of all tragedies,
failure to requite the love of God.
Author: Gilbert Alexander
Date written: 2-20-05
