Woke up this morn and remembered what I learnt yesterday . Want to capture it before it leaves..
The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)
Essentially what he did was help someone (a Jew) who looked down on him, and he gave and loved not expecting anything in return and not because anyone was looking.
Who had been the Jew¡¯s neighbour?
¡°The one who had mercy on him.¡±
And the speaker said.. the question is not who is my neighbour, or who is worthy to be my neighbour.. as though we should pick and choose who we should love. But rather, who are you a neighbour to? For God desires that we love every human being, as He does (regardless of race, Jew, Samaritan). Not expecting anything in return, and not just the cute and likeable ones or those who are good to us.
We love them not because of who they are, but because of who we are, children of God, saved and loved. Because of who our Father is.
¡°Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind¡¯¡ ¡®Love your neighbor as yourself.¡¯
These few months, we have been reading Exodus, and Leviticus. And amidst all the OT dos and donts, something I read before comes repeatedly to me.
¡°The laws were meant to promote and protect life.¡± The laws given to the Israelites would bring blessing to them.
Psalm 19 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
So I pondered.. why does He care whether we love one another.. even saying in another part of the Bible, equating loving our neighbour to loving Him. You are awesome, Lord!
How would loving our neighbour promote and protect life..? God is love. That means love is such a integral and characteristic part of Him. We are created in His image. And we are lovingly created. I suspect, that when we love our neighbour, we fulfill one of the very basic purposes for which we were created. We were created to love one another. That is our destiny. So when we actually do it, there is something very right about it that brings blessing to our lives.
Love is an overused word in todays world. Many equate it to an emotion, a feeling. But the way God loves, is not a mere emotion. Feelings/emotions can change. God¡¯s love doesnt.
Heres how the love of the Samaritan was manifested. (Luke 10: 25)
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coin 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.¡¯
Heres how God loves us.
Romans 5: 8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Not emotionless, but not just a mere emotion.
Love one another, with more than just emotions.
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2 comments:
Hey was just dwelling on the love of God yesterday too, how timely.. 1 John 4:12 "if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us". God made us to love and we are an extension of His love.. and we experience God truly only when we love others.. thought i'd add on =)
You got it! Hallejulah! One of the boys in my cellgroup asked me to explain the parable last month during fellowship. He asked me that the parable means our neighbour is the one who shows us mercy.
Strangely, somehow when we read through the parable together, I initially did not understand the parable but somehow the Spirit took over and I said, "You did not understand it. Look here in Verse 37 when Jesus said, 'Go and do likewise.' The question is not who is our neighbour, but am I a good neighbour." That is why the expert in the law went away satisfied."
Both of us got a shock. Praise be to God!
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