What God finds lovely...
The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it.
The second part [of the stated thesis] is clear and is accepted by all philosophers and
theologians, for the object of love is its cause, assuming, according
to Aristotle, that all power of the soul is passive and material and
active only in receiving something. Thus it is also demonstrated that
Aristotle's philosophy is contrary to theology since in all things it
seeks those things which are its own and receives rather than gives
something good. The first part is clear because the love of God which
lives in man loves sinners, evil persons, fools, and weaklings in
order to make them righteous, good, wise, and strong. Rather than
seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good.
Therefore sinners are attractive because they are loved; they are
not loved because they are attractive: For this reason the love
of man avoids sinners and evil persons. Thus Christ says:»For I came
not to call the righteous, but sinners« (Matt.
9:13).
This is the love of the cross, born of the cross, which turns in the
direction where it does not find good which it may enjoy, but where
it may confer good upon the bad and needy person. »It is more
blessed to give than to receive« (Acts
20:35),
says the Apostle. Hence Ps.
41:1 states,
»Blessed is he who considers the poor,« for the intellect cannot by
nature comprehend an object which does not exist, that is the poor
and needy person, but only a thing which does exist, that is the true
and good. Therefore it judges according to appearances, is a
respecter of persons, and judges according to that which can be seen,
etc.
(Thesis 28 of the Heidelberg Disputation) (italics for emphasis- mine)
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