When it comes to Jesus’ command to love others, most of us would say that we want to obey this command. We want to love people in a way that points them to Christ. When it comes to the type of people whom we are called to love, we begin making exceptions. We want to love others, but not the neighbor with the constantly barking dog, the parent on the soccer team who constantly yells and causes chaos, the person with different political beliefs than you, or the roommate who constantly borrows your things without asking. The truth is, however, that our calling to love others is all-inclusive. We are called to love everyone around us. There are no loopholes when it comes to God's call to love our neighbors.
Jesus explained that His people are called to love everyone in Luke 10. In this passage of Scripture, a religious leader asked Jesus, "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" (verse 25). Jesus did not answer this man's question quickly. Because this man was a religious leader, Jesus turned the question back to him, saying, "What does the law of Moses say?" (verse 26). This man was an expert in the law, so he answered, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'" (verse 27). When Jesus confirmed that he had answered correctly, this man asked another question: "And who is my neighbor?" This man wanted to know who exactly he needed to love and, perhaps more importantly, who he did not need to worry about showing love to. In other words, he wanted a loophole. Once again, Jesus did not answer his question quickly. He answered his question by telling a story.
Jesus’ story in Luke 10 involved a Jewish man who was robbed on the side of the road and left for dead. He desperately needed help. A priest and a temple assistant walked by this man and did nothing to help. Finally, a Samaritan man walked by this Jewish man in need of help. Unlike the religious leaders, this Samaritan man did something to help save this man's life. At this point, the religious leader would have gasped out loud. You see, Samaritans despised Jews, and Jews despised Samaritans. No self-respecting Jewish man or woman would have stopped to help a Samaritan, nor would any Jewish person have expected a Samaritan to help them. Even still, the Samaritan man in Jesus' parable was the hero of His story. Why? He looked beyond cultural norms and prejudices and loved.
After Jesus told His story, he asked the religious man, "Which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked?" (verse 36). The man answered, "The one who showed him mercy" (verse 37). He could not even say the word "Samaritan." Then, Jesus gave Him a command: "Now go and do the same" (verse 37).
Jesus never actually answered the question that the religious man asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Instead, Jesus told Him how to be a neighbor. He taught him that being a neighbor meant loving everyone, not just those who are easy to love.
Still today, we are called to love everyone, not just those we want to show love to. No one is outside the limit of God's love. We must set aside our own agendas, prejudices, and opinions and love those whom God has placed in our lives. After all, everyone we encounter is someone who is dearly loved by God.
Think about your own life and how you are loving the people around you. Is there someone whom you have been struggling to love? Maybe someone has really hurt you, and you are having a hard time showing love to them. Our call in Scripture is to love everyone, not just those who are easy to love. Spend some time praying for those whom you are struggling to love right now. Ask God to change your heart so that you have a love for them.
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
