Comments on: “Loved More/Loved Less” Vs. “Loved/Hated” http://www.hank.masstheology.com/archives/loved-moreloved-less-vs-lovedhated/ Thinking through the Christian Narrative in a Postmodern Culture Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:21:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Hank http://www.hank.masstheology.com/archives/loved-moreloved-less-vs-lovedhated/comment-page-1/#comment-391 Hank Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:31:15 +0000 http://www.hank.masstheology.com/archives/loved-moreloved-less-vs-lovedhated/#comment-391 Paul, You are a brave man to object and I applaud that. Do be bold to speak up in Sunday School. You'll keep your teacher on his toes and you will learn more that way. You are very correct in your assessment of the situation: "I think that God's love is unconditional, and if there is a way to affect it..., there can be conditions." Romans 9 and Malachi 1 weren't speaking of Esau being less loved but rather God had chosen Jacob and rejected Esau as his chosen people. We must always remember that God rejected Esau as his own. It is like rejecting a woman in favor of another to be your wife. God chose to be wed to Israel, not Edom. Thus all of God's covenant love went to Jacob and his descendants and not to Esau and his descendants. God did not love Mary more but rather favored her. She was favored in his site, not loved more than anyone else. God's love is not even in view in this text, not even in Greek. Gabriel is only relaying that God has favored her to be the mother of the Christ-child. There were other virgins that God could have picked that he loved just as much. But he <stong><em>chose</em> Mary. That is all that Luke was conveying.</stong> Paul,
You are a brave man to object and I applaud that. Do be bold to speak up in Sunday School. You’ll keep your teacher on his toes and you will learn more that way. You are very correct in your assessment of the situation: “I think that God’s love is unconditional, and if there is a way to affect it…, there can be conditions.” Romans 9Open Link in New Window and Malachi 1Open Link in New Window weren’t speaking of Esau being less loved but rather God had chosen Jacob and rejected Esau as his chosen people. We must always remember that God rejected Esau as his own. It is like rejecting a woman in favor of another to be your wife. God chose to be wed to Israel, not Edom. Thus all of God’s covenant love went to Jacob and his descendants and not to Esau and his descendants.

God did not love Mary more but rather favored her. She was favored in his site, not loved more than anyone else. God’s love is not even in view in this text, not even in Greek. Gabriel is only relaying that God has favored her to be the mother of the Christ-child. There were other virgins that God could have picked that he loved just as much. But he chose Mary. That is all that Luke was conveying.

]]> By: Paul http://www.hank.masstheology.com/archives/loved-moreloved-less-vs-lovedhated/comment-page-1/#comment-390 Paul Sat, 03 Mar 2007 20:53:25 +0000 http://www.hank.masstheology.com/archives/loved-moreloved-less-vs-lovedhated/#comment-390 Thank you for your insights. I'm 16 years old, and a question was asked of my sunday school class. The teacher said that he thought it was possible for anyone to affect God's love for them, i.e. there is a way that we can make God love us more or less. I was the only one in a 10 person class to disagree with him. :(. His strongest arguement was that ".....Esau i hated." Is that purely God's choice? Is that a matter of election, not necessarily love? I think that God's love is unconditional, and if there is a way to affect it.... there can be conditions. What do you say in regard to Mary, to whom Gabriel said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored" Thanks! In His Majestey's Service, Paul Thank you for your insights. I’m 16 years old, and a question was asked of my sunday school class. The teacher said that he thought it was possible for anyone to affect God’s love for them, i.e. there is a way that we can make God love us more or less. I was the only one in a 10 person class to disagree with him. :( . His strongest arguement was that “…..Esau i hated.” Is that purely God’s choice? Is that a matter of election, not necessarily love? I think that God’s love is unconditional, and if there is a way to affect it…. there can be conditions. What do you say in regard to Mary, to whom Gabriel said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored” Thanks!
In His Majestey’s Service,
Paul

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