The command to love others as yourself, from Lord Jesus to all believers, seems very difficult to follow in today’s age. It appears that everyone is filled with rage and hatred for others, due to their own struggles in life. With such an attitude the right words of others also look to be barbs aimed at you. Then, for no or little reason, one is bullied, abused and even physically attacked. How can anyone love such a person, despite our Lord’s command to love the enemies also?
Why are people so filled with rage? First we see the origin of love and the opposite of that. ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’, but there is no mention of the time gap in this, but seeing the rest of the Scripture we learn about some time gap (Genesis 1:1). We learn, ‘God is love’ and all that He created is an expression of His love (1 John 4:8). He did not need anything, for He is perfect in Himself and neither can something be added nor subtracted from Him. God the Father revealed the ‘Light of the glory of His Son’, through whom all creation process was completed. Apostle Paul could declare this fact, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ‘in Him (Lord Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth’ (Colossians 1:16-17). And then He reveals the Son of God as the anchor, holding all things together, ‘He is before all things, and in Him all things consist’ (Colossians 1:16-17).
At no stage has Lord Jesus ever tried to glorify Himself but has maintained, ‘the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do’ (John 5:19). He has been given all the authority over all things for He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven (Ephesians 1:20-23). And we are blessed for ‘we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God’ (Hebrews 4:14). He has all the authority, yet He is our High Priest, who receives and presents our prayers before God the Father for approval. Even on earth, He said the same about answering our prayers when we ask in His name, ‘that the Father be glorified in the Son’ (John 14:13). He receives from the Father to give further to others who are ready to receive.
On the other hand, we have Lucifer who was ‘the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty’ (Ezekiel 28:12-15). About his erstwhile position in heaven, ‘You were the anointed Cherub who covers; I (God) established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones’. All this is exactly the description of the ‘seraphim’ seen by Prophet Isiah in the Temple of God in Jerusalem, when he saw the glory of God there (Isaiah 6:1-3). The devil was created with all musical ability to lead other angels in heaven to worship God. He was so filled with pride in his ability to worship God that he wanted to receive praise for Himself instead of God. When anyone tries to receive recognition and praise for himself, he is wanting to receive to keep and not to give. Filled with his own importance, the devil decided, ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most-High’ (Isiah 14:14). In His pride he desired to be like the God who created him and a person with such a nature is always demanding self-exaltation and turns violent when denied.
First expression of love in all of creation is the love of God in heaven and so is that of resentment, anger and other evils of the devil. Satan and a group of his followers were removed from heaven into the darkness of earth. Adam and Eve were created to represent God on earth and reflect His ‘image and likeness’ before other creatures, who were placed under their control. The first part of this task was to obey the One God who had given them everything. But, under the devil’s guidance, they tried to be their own god by trying to be like God. When anyone tries to be his own God, trying to write his own destiny, there is definite failure in this. This brings resentment, jealousy towards others and an intense desire to snatch and have.
The scribe who tested Lord Jesus by the question about the way to eternal life, came to show his own wisdom and devotion to God (Luke 10:25-27). Our Lord knew his real intention, yet showed him the way in the Scripture. At every stage of His ministry, the Saviour Lord never lost His temper on anyone, however rude he may have been but showed compassion.
Loving someone filled with hatred and anger – We know that ‘with God nothing will be impossible’ and this He showed in His Son coming as our Redeemer to suffer for us, the people who acted in total rebellion against God (Luke 1:37). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, to define a neighbour, our Lord showed such an expression of selfless love. As per the parable, the Jewish man was robbed on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, stripped of his clothing, badly injured and left as ‘half dead’ (Luke 10:30-35). First the priest and then the Levite who were returning to Jericho after their duty at the Temple in Jerusalem, ignored him and passed by.
And then came the Samaritan, a group of people who were hated by the Jews for having intermarried with the Gentiles. He had all the reasons to ignore and move on, for the danger of the robbers would still be there and also to return the hatred. But he ‘saw him’ and this Greek word ‘horao’ is used in Scripture to ‘behold’ where special attention is demanded in a spiritual sense in the mind. With this the second act was done, to have compassion deep within him, which is not otherwise possible. Third, ‘he went to him’ ignoring the personal danger from the robbers and his reciprocal feelings of hatred for the Jews. Fourth, he ‘bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine’ for quick healing. Fifth, he ‘put him on his own animal’ while walking alongside, giving up his own comfort. Sixth, he ‘took care of him’ during the night, feeding him and ensuring his comfort. Seventh, he paid for his future care at the inn, while also promising to pay any additional cost to the innkeeper on his return trip.
Suppose the injured Jewish man had met him otherwise in some other setting, he would have probably looked the other way, without acknowledging the Samaritan man. Despite all this, the Samaritan man understood the injured Jewish man’s need and loved him. The Scribe felt it below his dignity to even speak his name but answered the Lord’s question of who acted as a neighbour, ‘He who showed mercy on him’.
Saul, who later became Apostle Paul, was a Pharisee and probably instigated and witnessed the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. Having been touched by Lord Jesus and experiencing first-hand His love, he could say, ‘God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). Our Lord was filled with the love of God the Father in heaven, who declared, ‘This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’. And this not once but twice, first at the start of His work after baptism and then at the entering into the final phase at His ministry at Transfiguration. This love, in Him, could overflow to touch the lives of all the people on the earth, for He died and paid for the sins of all humanity.
A large multitude followed the Lord to a deserted place, ‘He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick’ (Matthew 14:14-21). The disciples urged Him to send them away to find food in the villages nearby. But the Saviour commanded the disciples, ‘You give them something to eat’ and with ‘five loaves and two fish’, He provided and ‘they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained’. The number of people was ‘five thousand men’, totalling about twelve to fifteen thousand people, for women and children were never counted in that time.
In Jerusalem, at the Sheep gate, the gate through which sheep for offering sacrifice at the Temple were brought, there was a pool called Bethesda. It was believed by the people that at a certain time an angel stirred up the water of the pool (John 5:2-9). ‘Then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had’. Lord Jesus saw a man there ‘who had an infirmity thirty-eight years’ and realised that he had ‘been in that condition a long time’. And He asked the sick man, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ This was to have his consent and willingness. I used to wonder about the reason the Lord chose only that man from among so many lying there. His answer provides the reason, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool’ and he was probably left there by his family members. He would have been pushed to the side by others. God answers the prayers of those who have no one else and look up to Him. At our Lord’s command, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’, the man was immediately healed.
After reading about the healing of the born-blind beggar, Bartimeus on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, one would imagine the Son of God calling and asking, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ (Mark 10:47-52). He wanted to receive his sight and ‘followed Jesus on the road’. On the other hand, disciples James and John, the two brothers were also asked the same question by the Saviour Lord (Mark 10:35-39). They sought places of honour from Him to sit, ‘one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory’. What would you ask the Lord if asked you the same question, ‘what do you want Me to do for you’?
Apostle Paul was changed from within and could teach us all, ‘do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God’ (Romans 12:2). And that will of God for all believers is to love Him and love your neighbour as yourself. We submit to the power of God in us in His Spirit and the daily transformation process starts. Then, like Mother Thressa, we can also love even those who are sick physically, mentally and spiritually. Then the foul smell of their sickness and festering wounds is overpowered by the fragrance of His glory in us.
Our role in our inner transformation – Apostle John, heard Lord Jesus’ teaching, witnessed His miraculous works, sacrifice on the cross, resurrection and ascension (John 1:1-12). He could reveal His Divinity as ‘the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’. And then the great blessing for all, ‘as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name’. The Greek ‘lambano translated ‘receive’ is about active and aggressive action to lay hold of and is about permanency. Those who receive Him and fill their whole beings with His presence are implied. To believe in Him is to submit to His authority, power, love and desire to save us from sin and eternal separation from God. It is a continuous action throughout one’s life on earth and is about daily getting filled and recharged with this awareness. God becomes the Father and the believers become ‘heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ’ (Romans 8:17). This is not only about receiving but becoming partners with God to be a blessing to others. Joint-heirship with Lord Jesus is given, ‘if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together’. This does not mean death and physical sufferings only but more about spiritual sufferings.
Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father at the end of His ministry on earth to declare the completion of His work given from above (John 17:4). The work was, ‘I have glorified You on the earth’ and this was through His teachings, works and compassionate love towards all. We believe in Him by studying and meditating on His Word and with that we receive Him to be a part of us. Apostle Paul had experienced the change within himself to warn all believers to ‘walk properly……..not in strife and envy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 13:13-14). The clothes worn by an individual reveal his character and way of life and create an impression on the others. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is to live in His manner and ways. Then, we are filled with a desire to be like Him and touch the lives of many others. The first effect of this is transformation with a direct and visible inner change in all aspects of a person’s life. His dependence is more on God rather than on self-effort.
The second is imitating Christ diligently, attempting to live like Him, following His ways. Then, there is more forgiveness and love and compassion in our dealings with others. This helps us in loving even the most undeserving people. The third is in spiritual warfare for we are given the ‘armour of God’ to face the forces of evil. In this, Lord Jesus’ righteousness, truth, peace and His Word become our protection and armour. Then we see and confront the evil that is controlling the life of someone, rather than blame him only. The Gadarenes man was freed from the clutches of the ‘legion of demons’ and in love given the task to proclaim salvation to others.
The fourth is strength in overcoming the sinful desires and temptations by focussing on Him and His Word. Then it becomes easy to let go of revenge and hatred to reach out in love. Lord Jesus promised ‘a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life’ within the one who drinks from Him (John 4:14). His presence fills us with such love that it cannot be contained in our beings only and must flow over to touch others’ lives.
God is love and His Son has made us joint-heirs with Him and the first part of the inheritance is love. In faith we dedicate ourselves to love others as ourselves. Love is a feeling and an emotion and it takes effort to love, by focussing not on the bad but on the good. Every human being, however sinful he may be, reflects the image of God which is darkened by evil. Reach out to help and with love of God wash the dirt away and bring him to be what he should be. We can all do it, like the Samaritan man.
Our claim to love God appears hollow, when we fail to love others created and bearing His image and likeness. Innumerable numbers are those who started off in a new direction by expressing love of God to others. Success is never in material blessings only but committing our whole beings to serve and be a blessing to others. God loves and is pleased with such people!
