Mad Love: God's Not Mad At You, He's Madly in Love With You

By Samuel A. Kojoglanian

Discovering that God is not mad at you, but is madly, madly, madly in love with you will overwhelm your life with joy and hope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9780998921037

Samuel A. Kojoglanian

Dr. Samuel Kojoglanian (Dr. Sam, Dr. K) is a cardiologist and an evangelist who brings healing to hearts and souls by God's grace. He is singled out as one of the most compassionate doctors and designated as the top 1% of all the 950,000 physicians in America. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Dr. Sam shares God's love by mending hearts, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for orphans, and serving people worldwide.

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Kojoglanian

HANGING OUT WITH LOSERS

Jerry was my classmate in the seventh grade. It hurts me to admit this, but my friends and I started picking on him. I knew exactly how teasing felt. I had been bullied, called a loser, a dog, a foreigner, an ugly boy, and was physically beaten up when I moved to America as a fourth grader. My parents moved us from a small Armenian community in Jerusalem within the Old City. I found myself in a new city called Chattanooga, Tennessee, where I dressed and spoke differently from the locals. That’s when I felt hatred. That’s when I tasted bigotry. And that’s when I was exposed to prejudice.

So when I was mocking Jerry, acting inconsiderate, hateful, and unkind, I knew better, but I joined in the fun. One day when I was in gym class, Jerry tapped me on the back. He had a red ticket in his hand and a kind smile on his face. It was for our junior high basketball game. I was absolutely floored when he said with a caring voice, I wanted you to have this gift; I hope you’ll get to go and enjoy the game.

There were no strings attached to his gift, but it affected me deeply, actually bringing tears to my eyes. Jerry did not fight back with words; instead, he responded in honor. Instead of unkindness, he offered love. Instead of vengeance, he extended grace. And instead of fear, he showed courage. It broke my heart that I had stooped so low as to hurt another human being. It woke me up, and reminded me of the promise I had given God that I would not belittle others as I had been in my first years in America. And it showed me the intense power of sacrificial love.

I asked Jerry why he did what he did. My dad told me to fight back with love, he replied. We became close buddies. I told my other friends to back off and be kind. They did. Thanks to Jerry, and that one small red ticket.

The losers, as described by the Teachers of the Law in Jesus’ day, freely approached Him. They were attracted to His gentle words. Drawn to Him, they felt comfortable talking to Christ and dining with Him according to Luke’s account in the fifteenth chapter.

This is one of the most beloved chapters of the New Testament, and is considered the Gospel within the Gospel. It contains the very distilled essence of the good news, the story of Jesus Christ and God’s love for the weary, the lost, the broken, the dejected and the hurt.

The tax collectors were in the top ranks of condemned citizens in Jesus’ day.

Rejected.

Scorned by their fellow Jews.

They were the rats of society.

Lying.

Cheating.

Stealing.

From their own people.

Pocketing what they deemed necessary.

And giving the rest to the Roman government.

The sinners and the untouchables were also scorned.

The prostitutes.

The outcasts.

The reviled.

The lepers.

The lame.

And the down and out.

It was an offense to the Pharisees and scribes, the orthodox Jewish leaders of the first century, that Jesus associated with these men and women, labeled as sinners and treated as losers. There was a deliberate aim to avoid every contact with these people of the land who did not observe the petty details of their laws, even to the very minute aspects of eating a meal.

The very thought of being in contact with these rank outsiders would defile the Teachers of the Law. Though it is heart-breaking to admit, these teachers would rather have a sinner blotted out by God than rejoice if a sinner came to repent before