Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

1 John 4:18a – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (NKJV)

Matthew 21:15-16 – But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?" (NKJV)

Let Us Love
       by Isabel Allison

A little lad,
loved by kin of mine,
looked straight ahead,
then in voice sublime —
for child philosophers tend to mime —
spoke out amid the chatter
of Christmas supper time:

"This sure has been
a good Christmas,"
quoth he,
"Merry Christmas
everybody;"
and a breath he drew,
"and the Grinch didn't steal Christmas!"
Now he withdrew
for his speech was through.

Storybook fears,
defeated by love,
had left in their place
victory from above.
And adult amaze:
"Out of the mouths of babes,
God-perfected praise!"
And lingering love,
as the descent of the Dove.

The Grinch in Dr. Seuss's storybook, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," determined to end Christmas. He stole all the presents and food from the houses of all the Whos in Whoville. Then he viewed all the Whos still out merrily singing, and decided Christmas means more:

The Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast:
And he … HE HIMSELF …
The Grinch carved the roast beast. THE END.

The Grinch experiences a kind of conversion and joins in the Christmas celebration.

My little great-nephew, as he revealed in his speech from his stool, had possibly experienced some fear of the Grinch, and had not quite realized the fulfilling end of Dr. Seuss's book, until he personally had met the love and joy and peace of a "good Christmas" celebration of the birth of Jesus.

"Perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18b)

Only God shows us perfect, no-fear love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Let us share the love that John wrote of in his letter of encouragement: "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment." (1 John 4:16b-17a)

Prayer: Lord, thank You for taking little children up in Your arms, loving them, and ordaining praise from them to "silence the enemy and the avenger" (Psalm 8:2b). Make us to be like Jesus. Cause that we may encourage children and others "young in the faith". May we love one another, for love is from You. Amen.