Love Like Jesus

Happy Wednesday, Everyone. 😊 Love is in the air, as they say. 😊 Valentine’s Day was last weekend and many of us, I am sure, acknowledged that in one way or another. As we celebrate relationships with our families, friends, and significant others we love, there is One from whom all Love comes. That is Jesus. 

I checked my Concordance for the ESV Translation of Scripture. For those of you who are not aware, a Concordance is a list of all the words that are in scripture and the number of times they show up. Love appears 550 times; loved, 101 times; and loving, 8 times. There are other variations, but these are the ones that most apply here.

In Leviticus, we are told to love others as we love ourselves. And Jesus repeats this in the Gospels, as well. But in our passage for this week, He takes it up a notch. We are to love as Jesus loves us. We seem to have trouble loving as we love ourselves, how in the world are we to love as Jesus loves us? 

Well, like many things Jesus has asked us to be and do, He modeled for us what Love looks like.

Jesus’ love is unconditional. He didn’t ask what political party, nationality, ethnicity, or race someone belonged to. He healed even Samaritans and gave Grace to those considered the worst of sinners. Because He loves everyone.

Jesus’ love is universal. He loves everyone. John 3:16 is clear that God send His Son out of love for the world. That means everyone.

Jesus’ love is sacrificial. He loves us so much that He went to the cross to die for our sins and the sins of the entire world.

Jesus’ love is humble and quiet. He rarely showed any bit of anger – and when He did it was merited.

Jesus’ love is all-encompassing and complete. He doesn’t just love halfway or with and “I love you, but …”. He loves us in a way that is not always understandable. He doesn’t always like what we do, but He loves us totally and completely.

Can we say the same? How often do we put conditions on our love for others? How often do we sacrifice for those we love? How often do we tone down the anger instead of screaming? How often do we say, “I love you, but …”?

For us, it is not possible to love like Jesus loves. But we can try. We can certainly love without condition and exception. It’s not always easy, but it is doable.

How do you see yourself loving like Jesus? How do you see a need for you to move closer to His love example? If you are like me, you have a ways to go, but you are certainly a work in progress. 😊 

Blessings and Love, 😊 Ceri