If I told you to work out and you found out that I never did, what would you think of me? What about if I told you that it’s important to forgive others and you found out I was holding onto something in an unforgiving way? What if I told you to love others and you knew I hated someone? The act of commanding you to do something that I’m not willing to do would probably leave a bad impression, wouldn’t it?
Read the following passage about what Jesus had to say about love.
Luke 6:27-31, 35-36
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
What’s important to remember is that Jesus displayed love. He not only was love, but He displayed it.
The command we received is to love our enemies. God loved us while we were His enemies, so we should love others.
Jesus embodied this message in Luke 6. Everything He said we should do, He was doing and did do. He did good to those who hated him. He showed love to His enemies and did good to them. He endured abuse and still loved. He gave all He had out of love.
Jesus was this passage.
Jesus wasn’t commanding us to love from hearsay. He wasn’t commanding us to love as an idea. He was commanding us to love, by being the example o love. Do your acts of love speak for themselves?
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