What does it mean to love like Jesus?

Answer

A Christian desires to emulate Jesus as much as possible. Part of emulating Jesus is to love as He did. God’s aim is to transform us into the likeness of His Son “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”, (Romans 8:29). Jesus consistently obeyed the Father “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”, (John 8:29), He was without sin “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”, (Hebrews 4:15), and He loved people selflessly (Matthew 9:36;Matthew 14:14). He instructed His disciples to love one another as He had loved them “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”, (John 13:34). However, this poses a challenge. Jesus exemplified His love by sacrificing Himself for us, stating, “There is no greater love than this” “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”, (John 15:13). Since most of us will not be required to give our lives for someone, what does it entail to love like Jesus?

John 3:16 explains what it means to love as Jesus does: “God so loved the world that he gave his one

and only Son.” Godly love gives sacrificially. Loving like Jesus means we hold everything we own with loose hands. We are willing to part with money, time, and possessions in order to serve other people. We recognize that all we have is on loan to us from our Father in heaven and we are responsible for what we do with it (Matthew 25:14-30). We give people what they need when it is within our power to do so. When we see a brother or sister in need, and we have resources that could help, we are to share what we have with them (James 2:15;1 John 3:16-17).

Jesus was undiscriminating in the way He loved. He warned us that it is easy to love those who are like us (Luke 6:32-33). But Jesus loved even His enemies and expects His followers to do the same «But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. », (Luke 6:35). He healed, fed, and ministered to many who would later cry, “Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:20-22). He washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, knowing that within hours Judas would betray Him (John 13:4-5). He made a point of ministering to the hated Samaritans (John 4), even making a Samaritan the hero of a parable (Luke 10:25-37). Rich and poor, young and old, religious and pagan—people flocked to hear Jesus because He loved them (Mark 10:1; Matthew 9:35-36; Luke 18:18).

To love like Jesus means we cannot be selective in how we treat people. James strongly condemns favoritism based on financial or social status: “But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” «but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.», (James 2:9). We are to treat every human being with dignity and respect, remembering that each person is a special creation, designed in the image of God (1 John 2:9-10; 4:20-21). We must work to rid our hearts of racial prejudice, socio-economic snobbery, and religious superiority. None of that belongs in the life of someone who wants to love as Jesus loves.

We must not equate love with complete acceptance of everything someone does. Jesus did not tolerate sin, deception, or false followers. He was painfully direct with the Pharisees, religious leaders, and those who claimed to love Him but loved their lives more. While still loving them, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, calling them “Hypocrites!” and “Blind fools!” «But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.», (Matthew 23:13,16) «Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!», (Matthew 23:13,16). He challenged the religious leaders with the warning, “Not all who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only the one who does the will of…

My Father in Heaven” «Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.», (Matthew 7:21). He challenged the half-hearted by stating, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of Heaven” «And Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’», (Luke 9:62).

Loving like Jesus means caring enough about the souls of others to speak the truth to them. A wealthy young ruler approached Jesus with good intentions but a lack of surrender (Luke 18:18-25). He desired what Jesus offered but not Jesus himself. He cherished his wealth more, and Jesus compassionately highlighted the young man’s greed. Demonstrating love does not involve diluting the gospel that could bring salvation to them. Jesus never altered the truth to appease the “itching ears” of His audience «For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.», (see 2 Timothy 4:3). He loved them enough to caution them, challenge them, instruct them, and forgive them all the way to the cross «Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.», (Luke 23:34).

Forgiveness is another method through which we can love like Jesus. We forgive when we have been wronged (Matthew 6:14; Ephesians 4:32). Our selfishness tends to hold on to the injury, cCherishing it, cradling it, and reliving it. But Jesus forgave and tells us to forgive as well « And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. », (Mark 11:25). We cannot love someone we refuse to forgive. Jesus does not hold our forgiven sins against us; instead, He declares us clean and restored «If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. », (1 John 1:9). There may be consequences for our sin, but He loves us through them and helps us learn from them. When we forgive someone, we can love and pray for that person with a clear conscience because we have obeyed what God commands us to do (Colossians 3:13;Ephesians 4:32).

Jesus told His disciples that the primary way the world would know they were His was by their love for one another «By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. », (John 13:35). If we love Jesus, then we will love what He loves, which is people. And as we practice loving as He loved, we become more like Him.