Love Grows Cold

“…the love of most will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12b) 

My Musings – The love spoken of here is the highest form of love defined in Scripture (agape).  It is one in which “spiritual energy is blighted or chilled by a malign [ant] or poisonous wind.” Love growing cold is being cultivated by the increase of evil (“because of the increase of wickedness). Those who once were true to each other will betray each other, suggesting that marriages, homes, and nations will be torn asunder because of lack of loyalty.

By way of just one example, current estimates suggests that approximately 50% of all marriages will end in divorce. Subsequent marriages have an even higher chance of ending up in divorce, with 60 and 73% of second and third marriages ending up in divorce respectively.

What is particularly chilling about this prediction by Jesus is the attachment of the superlative “most.” But it takes only a casual survey of the headlines and social media exchanges to see just how polarized and militant society is becoming in terms of politics, religion, race relations and sexual preferences (to name just a few).   

My Advice – This is just one instance where believers are called to be different than the world around us. “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3, NIV 1984).

Sources:

Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Mt 24:12). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 87). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

hernorm.com/marriage-and-divorce-statistics/