What Does It Take to Love, Part 4

To prepare ourselves to fulfill the great commandments—love God with everything; love neighbour as self—the Good Samaritan in Jesus’s story shows us exactly what Jesus means by this. Are we willing to take this challenge as our own?

10. Willing to Become Involved

(Luke 10:33-34 NLT) “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. (34) Going over to him …”

This translation of God’s word describes Jesus’s model altruist as a “despised Samaritan.” Although this was not stated in the original language, everyone who heard Jesus narrate this story would have known that the Jews despised the Samaritans at that time. This made what happened next seem even more impossible:

“Going over to him.” The compassionate benefactor was willing to become involved. What’s more, he chose to be vulnerable and involved among people whom he knew despised him. This made it extra challenging for him. But for the kind traveller, compassion for the hurting man was a greater motivator than the self-protection of remaining uninterrupted, safe, and importantly, avoiding mixing with those who despised him.

For us this is deeply challenging; our Lord Jesus is asking us, not only to reach out, become involved with, and love the unlovely—those we wouldn’t normally be drawn to or have anything in common with; he is actually implying that we should go to, reach out to, help, and be very generous towards those who even despise us. This is a bit like trying to feed, calm, and pet a wounded or caged wild animal; it’s not easy, and it doesn’t “feel” nice. For example, Jesus may want us to lay our lives down to love and reach out to street kids, lepers, prisoners, outcasts, hermits, and people who despise, reject, and denigrate us. Yet this is the exemplary love Jesus described when explaining how to love your neighbour as yourself. And that was the follow up question to: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” How will you respond?

As we finish this series on what it takes to love, Jesus leaves us with:

? Some great vision for our personal development;

? Some very clear-cut commandments (love God, love neighbour, do unto others as you would have them do unto you etc.); and

? Some wonderful promises where love is concerned. For example:

(Romans 5:5 GWT) “We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Can I encourage you to make growing in love a personal growth goal; grow in love for God, and others. Ask yourself if you are in the position—resourced, trained, well managed, with good reputation, and compassionate enough—to “do” what love requires like the Good Samaritan did. Remember, to enable you to succeed in this, God has ensured that you have: his guaranteed word and covenant, permanently written and sealed in the precious blood of Jesus; his love poured into your heart; Jesus as your Lord; and the Holy Spirit as your guide, comforter, strengthener, standby, and helper. By God’s grace, you can be and do as he expects.

Let’s now listen to Jesus conclude and apply his answer to the lawyer:

(Luke 10:36-37 NKJV) “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” (37) And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Today, I leave you to draw your own conclusions out of Jesus’s discussion with the lawyer. I just ask you to remember the initial question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus’s final statement, “Go and do likewise.” This is a “do” command from our Lord, not just a question, suggestion, theory, or platitude.