“…the love of most will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12b)
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.”(1) 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.(2) By way of just one example (we will look at more in a later chapter), see Figure 2.4 on divorce trends.
What is particularly chilling about this prediction by Jesus is the attachment of the superlative “most.” Of course, marriage is just one, albeit very important, subset of love. 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).
_______________________________________________________
- 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.
The Brew Is A Musing 