“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” ~1 John 3:1 NIV
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. 32So 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. 35The 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.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” ~Luke 10:25-37 NIV
“Where Love is, God is.” ~Henry Drummond
The word “love” appears in the King James version of the Bible approximately 314 times. If one were to study the origins of the word, you would find that the ancient Greeks actually had four different words they used for love, each having its own distinct meaning. These words were agápe, éros, phileo, and storgē . Popular Christian author C.S. Lewis wrote a book called “The Four Loves” which explains each one in great detail. Even though the translation of the word varies with its respective usage, “agape” (pronounced ah-gah-pey) is frequently found in the Bible and is generally reserved for speaking of a sacrificial love or what is commonly referred to today as an unconditional love. It is noticeably dissimilar from the romantic type of love (eros), a love shared amongst friends (phileo), and the love for offspring through affection and familiarity (storge). The type of love Jesus was speaking of transcends the natural barriers of circumstance, culture, status, and wealth. It is a Godly love that persistently loves all, not for the sake of reciprocity, but simply for the sake of loving and for the cause of Christ.“We must love one another or die.” ~W.H. Auden
To fully appreciate this story, we have to understand who the players are in Christ’s tale. The Traveller we can presume is of Jewish origin simply because of the audience Jesus was speaking to and because of his comparison to the Samaritan. This is critically important because the Samaritans and Jews did not get along. In fact, they hatedeach other. The Priest and the Levite, on the other hand, were religious leaders who were probably returning to Jericho after completing their temple duties in Jerusalem. In Jesus’ culture, contact with a dead body was understood to defile a person. Priests were particularly enjoined to avoid uncleanness. The priest and Levite may therefore have assumed that the fallen traveler was dead and avoided him to keep themselves ritually clean. They were also familiar with this particualr stretch of road that was notorious for its danger from bandits and difficult travel. In fact, it was known as the “Way of Blood” by the locals. They may have been afraid to risk aiding the fallen traveller in fear that it was a trap. Even though we can speculate about the reasons behind their inattention, we know one thing for sure. They were not acting in love. Religiousness or fear, maybe. But not in love.
“Love means loving the unlovable—-or it is no virtue at all.” ~G.K. Chesterton
16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” ~1 John 3:16-18 NIV
Jesus Christ was sent to the Cross to die for mans sins. Not because we were worthy of this sacrifice. But, simply because he loved us so much, he refused to allow us fall in to the hands of Satan. This is the same type of unconditional love we should be showing the world.
7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” ~1 John 4:7-12 NIV
” If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” ~1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV
If you ever find yourself in a position where you cannot determine what to do, purpose in your heart to err on the side of love. Why? Because Jesus is Love! So how do you know if you are acting in love? I’m glad you asked! Lets take a look at a book in the Bible that has been made famous for what it has to say about love.
4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails….” ~1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV
Did you know that the word love can be used as a noun and a verb? How can this be? Because it is a person, place, or thing that is made up of actions. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, alwaysperseveres. The only thing the Bible say love cant do is fail. As Christian Believers we should be showing the world the love of Christ. This is done by living a Christ like lifestyle ourselves. Christs very nature was love. His teachings, his life, his death,burial, and ressurection were all motivated by the same thing which is Love. If we are followers of Christ and are to be victorious in life though his sacrifice, then we should be motivated by the same thing he was. Why? Because love never fails. Be Blessed, My Friends. Be an Overcomer.
~Bro. Jason Z. Hunt
Memory Verse: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8
Memory Word: “Agape”: the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.
Inspiring Music: “Love” by Kirk Franklin
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