As His children, though, we cannot merely mimic His love. In fact, doing so breeds a toxic hypocrisy to those around us and to ourselves. We think we have a form of godliness because we mimic so well. However, if that is all we are doing, then we fall into the trap of having a form of love without really loving as Christ loved, and all the while thinking we are just fine.
Even as we are commanded to love as Jesus loved and even as we are commanded to follow His example, we must do these in the power and regeneration of His Spirit or the results will be a forest full of lollipop trees with measles instead of a life filled with the fruit of His Spirit. Even now, I hesitate to lay out a list of how Jesus loved for fear we might drill this love thing down to checking off the completion of each task on said list. I fear we will simply try to duplicate and copy rather than experience and live out the unfathomable love of Christ.
So I commit these examples from our Savior, Jesus the Christ, back to Him and trust that the Holy Spirit will work in and through each of us for the Father’s eternal purposes and for His everlasting glory. These are but a few of the ways Jesus demonstrated His love to His closest followers. I pray these will challenge and encourage us to love one another as He loves us. You can find many more ways God demonstrates His love to us throughout the pages of the Bible.
Jesus invited love
What we describe as the call of the disciples was really Christ’s invitation to have a relationship with Him…to know Him…to experience His love. He didn’t just invite the loveable. In fact, He didn’t invite any lovable ones. All His disciples were stinky, unclean, and scratchy sandpaper human beings. What a motley crew these twelve were, just as we are!
None of the twelve were worthy of His love. None of these men could ever measure up to His standards or meet His expectations. They failed Him time and again. They disappointed. They disputed. They deserted. They denied. And the one not truly His own, Judas, betrayed Him. But Jesus invited even him to His love relationship. It was Judas’ choice to reject that invitation.
I would never think of inviting a bunch of uneducated, smelly fishermen into a love relationship with me, nor would I invite a deceitful, low-life tax collector. And I certainly would not invite the very person who would betray me to my death to love me. That, my dear friend, is the crux of my problem. I would dare say it could be your problem as well.
We only invite people to love us who look like us, talk like us, act like us, and believe like us. Once selected, the lucky ones we bestow our love upon must now meet our expectations and standards and fulfill our desires. If not, well, we just un-invite them by withholding our love. Praise God, He does not operate that way and neither does His Son!
Matthew
In the days of Jesus, there wasn’t a more hated Jew than the tax collector. These men were considered cohorts of Rome and traitors of Israel. Jesus’ choice of Levi, also known as Matthew, set the standard for His followers and for His detractors, the religious leaders of that day. For His followers, they learned all were welcomed into His loving arms no matter their past and shortcomings. For His detractors, they knew they could never accept an invitation of love that included those most unlike themselves. How sad.
After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him. And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. Luke 5:27-29
I wonder how much we miss and what blessings pass us by because we only want to love people most like ourselves. Tragically, our shortsightedness not only robs us, it robs others of ever knowing the Jesus we claim to love and serve.
Discussion
Do a love inventory. Who is in your love circle? Does everyone look like you? Talk like you? Act like you? Vote like you? Shop where you shop? Eat where you eat? Is there anything different about them? Is there any variety in the circle of those you love?
Look for someone totally opposite of you. A person who is a one another, but not someone you naturally gravitate to or always feel comfortable around. Start a conversation with them. Use discernment to discover a need and then meet it. Maybe it’s a ride to the doctor or helping paint a room or babysitting.
Look for the unlovable and love them. You may find them at church, work, school, or among your neighbors. Just because someone is unlovable in your eyes doesn’t mean they have not had their heart pierced by Jesus and thereby are a one another. Remember, as much as this is hard for us to comprehend, we are unlovable to at least one someone else. Gasp!
Pray for this unlovable, sandpapery one another. Pray that God will open your heart to look past the unlovable stuff and see why He loves her. Pray that God will help you realize that no one is lovable enough to be loved by God. No one deserves the price that Jesus paid on the cross. We were all filthy when He claimed us and we all still stink, at least a little. So hold your nose and love.
One Another Living 