The Life of Discipleship, Part 6: Love for Others

Audio length: 20.35

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The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” originates in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:18. In that same chapter, love for neighbor is extended to include the stranger: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself” (Leviticus 19:34). The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke variously recount Jesus’ affirmation of this commandment as the second of the two greatest commandments, with loving God with all our heart, mind, and strength being the first of these (Mark 12:30–31).

In the Gospel of Luke, we read that after hearing Jesus proclaim love for our neighbor as one of the greatest commandments, an expert in the law challenged Jesus with the question, “And who is my neighbor?” Clearly, he was trying to categorize some people as “non-neighbors” to exclude them from this commandment. Jesus went on to tell the story of the Good Samaritan to emphatically illustrate that loving our neighbor extends far beyond our friends and local community to strangers and foreigners, and means showing compassion and care to those in need (Luke 10:25–35).

Jesus set the bar even higher in the Sermon on the Mount when He instructed His followers to love their enemies “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43–45 NIV). Clearly no one was excluded from the command to love.

The foundation point for us as Christians in loving our neighbors is the understanding that every person is precious to God, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, economic status, religious belief, political affiliation, or any other difference. God loves everyone. He loves the beggar on the street as much as He loves the richest man in the world. He is “gracious and full of compassion” and unfailing love, and “the Lord is good to all” (Psalm 145:8–9 NKJV).

God asks that we see each person He has created through His eyes of love, which means that we will look at others without bias, prejudice, or preconceived opinions or stereotypes. God’s unconditional love knows no boundaries of race, creed, or status, and should guide our attitudes about others, especially those who are different from us in some ways. Our commission as disciples, as those who walk in the Master’s footsteps, is to show the same love to others that Jesus showed to us. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6–8 NIV).

We don’t have to like or agree with every person’s belief system, lifestyle, or choices. They may live without regard to God’s moral standards or live lives of grave sin, but no matter what their current state may be, God loves them. Scripture teaches that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, that love is of God, and God is love (1 John 4:7–8). The awesome love of God is our touchstone. As disciples, we are commissioned to emulate God’s attributes of love, compassion, and mercy, just as Jesus did. Loving our fellow man is central to Christian discipleship.

We are commanded to love one another as Jesus does. There is not one person Jesus does not love and did not come to save—this includes everyone you lock eyes with, walk past on the street, hear about in the news, live next door to, stand behind in line at the grocery store, or sit next to in the waiting room. When we actively love those around us, putting their needs before our own, we are taking the same amazing love that Jesus has poured out to us and becoming a living, breathing, beautiful display for humanity.

You see, while many believe love is just a nice, heart-warming feeling, as Christians, we are called for it to be more than that—we are called to take action. We can share God’s love by noticing the unnoticed, loving the unlovely, or even by extending grace to those who are not so easy to be around…

Let’s make it our prayer today to ask God to help us actively love others—to actively walk across the street to help our neighbors, to actively cook a warm meal for a friend in need, or to actively visit a nearby nursing home to love on the elderly. Let us ask Him to lead us to places where He wants us to shine His light and ask Him for the courage and strength to share His love with all who surround us in our daily lives.—Gini Wietecha¹

Love is the first key to intentional discipleship. According to people who were unbelievers, this is the character trait that had the biggest impact on their decision to follow Jesus. This should come as no surprise. Jesus demonstrated love to people everywhere he went. As a result, their lives were forever changed. Jesus … was compelled to love people, and he did not let anyone or anything get in the way of expressing it. Love flowed out of him and touched the lives of those he met.—Shawn D. Anderson²

There are four words used in classical Greek for love: storge, which means natural affection (such as that of a parent for a child); philos, which means friendship or brotherly love; eros, which means sensual or passionate love; and agape, which is the word used throughout the New Testament for the unmerited love God showed to humankind in sending His Son as the Redeemer.

When speaking of human love in the New Testament, agape refers to selfless and self-giving love. Agape can be understood to mean the kind of love that causes you to reach out and do good to others, to love your fellow man and put the needs of others before your own; the kind of love that earnestly seeks the redemption of the unsaved and seeks to help those in need.

The Italian theologian Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) defined agape love as “willing the good of the other.” Agape love is not a fleeting emotion or desire, but a choice to act in a way that promotes the well-being of another, even when it requires self-sacrifice. So when Jesus talks about loving others, He’s talking about the kind of love where you give to another not expecting something in return—the kind of love that forgives when people have sinned against you or hurt you, the kind where you go out of your way to help someone. The self-giving, selfless love that Jesus speaks about is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, rooted in the principles of His Word, and it’s meant to be the defining characteristic of our discipleship.

I am struck by the different facets of Jesus’ sacrifice and how that reflects the tremendous love of God. I have also been thinking about how my life should reflect Jesus’ pattern of self-giving love.

Jesus’ death on the cross is, at one level, an amazing illustration of His words that no one has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). The cross was transformed from the most brutal image of death to the most shocking illustration of the love of God.

To what lengths will God go to show His love? Beyond what we can imagine. How much will He give? All.

And after taking up the humble task of washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus says to these His first followers, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them” (John 13:15–16).

Jesus gave. He gave completely. His giving was an act of divine love. We too should give. We should give completely. Our giving should be an act of divine love. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).—Matt Erickson³

God wants us to love all humankind and to be examples of His attributes to those we meet and interact with on a daily basis. But He’s even more concerned that we show love for our fellow Christians (referred to in the Bible as our brethren, or brothers and sisters)—the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). This is the kind of love that Jesus is speaking of when He says:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34–35).

In 1 John, we also read about the importance of our love for our fellow Christians. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14 NASB). And “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” (1 John 3:16 NIV).

Throughout the Epistles, we are called to help, care for, show compassion, and do good to our brethren. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). John had strong words for what it means when we neglect our brethren when he wrote, “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17).

Why is it so important that we care for and provide support—whether spiritual or practical—to our fellow believers? Jesus answered that question when He said, “By this all people shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” Jesus wants us, His followers, to be known for our love. Loving our brethren is a key element of discipleship and shining the light of His love and gospel to the world.

Just hours before He was arrested, Jesus prayed to His Father that the disciples—both those who were with Him right then and all who would follow—would be in unity as He and His Father are in unity “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:20–23). Jesus prayed that all His disciples would be one: one body, knit together in love; one in belief, one in mission, one in Christ-mindedness. It’s not possible that all disciples are like-minded in all things, but in matters of faith, love, service, and reaching the world with the gospel, in those things which make them disciples, Jesus prayed for oneness among them. Christians may differ on secondary points of doctrine or belief but should be united in the core beliefs of Christianity (including belief in God, salvation in Jesus, the Trinity, the Bible as the Word of God, and the Great Commission to preach the gospel).

When we are united and gathered together in Him, He is there with us. “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV). Having Christ in our midst helps others to experience His presence, and the joy and love draw them to Him and provide a living example of His love for them. It is part of the witness and testimony of disciples. It also serves to strengthen us in our discipleship. In Hebrews we read, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24–25).

When disciples gather together for spiritual fellowship, God’s presence is with them. The Holy Spirit creates an alive, loving atmosphere within the body of believers. When Christians get together and enter into fellowship, it empowers them. Praying, worshiping, giving testimonies, having deep conversations, enjoying each other’s company, all create a wonderful atmosphere which strengthens and uplifts those participating. Fellowshipping with other Christians in whatever ways the Lord leads us to do in our personal situations is part of living out our discipleship.

We are called to love our neighbor and to love our fellow Christians as cornerstones of our discipleship. Let’s make a commitment to every day be living examples of God’s love to the people the Lord places in our path. May the love of Christ compel us “because we are convinced that … he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15 NIV).

I believe God loves the world through us—through you and me.—Mother Teresa

We instinctively tend to limit for whom we exert ourselves. We do it for people like us, and for people whom we like. Jesus will have none of that. By depicting a Samaritan helping a Jew, Jesus could not have found a more forceful way to say that anyone at all in need—regardless of race, politics, class, and religion—is your neighbour. Not everyone is your brother or sister in faith, but everyone is your neighbour, and you must love your neighbour.—Timothy Keller

Every single person we meet is loved by God and is someone Jesus died for. Everyone we encounter through the day—strangers, acquaintances, friends, family—can experience God’s love through us! Every day, we have the opportunity to show God’s love to others.—Askaboutmyfaith.com

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:11–12).

“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:46–48 NLT).

“Above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 NKJV).

Dearest Lord, may I be a blessing to my neighbors. Not just to those who are close to me but also to those with whom I communicate even if they are far away. May I be a good Samaritan to someone today. Move me in compassion that I become a bearer of goodwill towards my brothers.

Lord, give me the strength to live by Your commandment of love. … May I not close my heart to those who are in need. May I share the blessings I received from You with those who ask for it. May I never lose sight of how to love. … May the people I meet on this path become opportunities for me to live the teachings of Christ.

Lord, I ask that You open my heart to receive genuine love for Your commandments. Teach me, Lord, to love You first above all else, and to love my neighbors as I love myself. May I always keep sight of the very core of Your commandment of love.⁴

¹ Gini Wietecha, “What God Says About Loving Others,” Dayspring, August 25, 2023, https://www.dayspring.com/articles/loving-others-well?srsltid=AfmBOopdtkbOB8KU0CKhjKhVDsfMpiTzEZ7HKjXsHwPWxRs_y-rYtam6.

² Shawn D. Anderson, Living Dangerously (Wipf and Stock, 2010).

³ Matt Erickson, “Self-Giving Love,” June 14, 2010, https://mwerickson.com/2010/06/14/self-giving-love/.

⁴ Pearl Dy, “How to 'Love Your Neighbor As Yourself' as in Mark 12:31,” Christianity.com, January 24, 2023, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself-bible-meaning-of-mark-12-31.html.