It’s easy to love our friends, but what about the people we don’t really like? Pastor Jeremy helps us see, through Jesus’ example, how to love those who are tough to love—no likes required.
Notes 📓✏️:
Matthew 22:35-39 (NLT): “One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap Him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?’ Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“What commandment matters MOST to God.”
“Love God. Love People.”
“Who is my neighbor?”
Mosaic Law infers: Your neighbor is your personal friend.
Pharisees defined “Your Neighbor” as someone who shares your beliefs.
Matthew 5:43-44, 46-47 (NLT): “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 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.”
Cain: “Am I [really] my brother’s keeper?”
Love through actions and deeds.
1 John 3:18 (TEV): “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.”
Matthew 5:16 NKJV: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
1 Peter 3:1 TEV: “…if any of them do not believe God’s word, your conduct will win them over to believe…”
Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis, “Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”
1. Jesus’ walked His talk.
Question: “Am I a person who shows God’s love with my everyday actions?”
2. Jesus brought healing everywhere he went.
God’s kindness leads us to repentance. (Romans 2:4)
Question: “Am I a person who brings healing to the people around me?”
3. Jesus Pursued Connection, Not Just Conversation
Communication doesn’t begin with words. It begins with connection.
Jesus always conveyed HIS message in THEIR language, on THEIR turf.
Question: “Am I a person who seeks authentic connection with others outside my comfort zone?”
4. Jesus loved everyone. No likes required.
1 Peter 2:12 TEV: “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”
Question: “Am I a person who loves those who are difficult to love?”
5. Jesus was fully present.
Pew Research Center found that 51% of partnered adults in the U.S. feel their partner is often or sometimes distracted by their cellphone during conversations, and 40% are bothered by the amount of time their partner spends on their mobile device.
Empathy
Luke 19:41 (NLT): “But as He came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, He began to weep.”
Matthew 9:36 (NLT): “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
“Does someone care about me?”
“Attentiveness, more often than not, is most needed when it is least convenient!”
Question: “Am I a person who is attentive and dialed-in while with others?”
The more we experience God’s unconditional love, the more we understand we were the one tough to love.
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
- What do you think is the difference between loving your neighbor and loving your friend?
- How can being attentive and fully present with others allow you to show love, based on the examples given by Pastor Jeremy?
- How does Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” challenge you personally, and how can that translate into real-life actions?
- What is the significance of the phrase “love through actions and deeds,” and how does it relate to what Pastor Jeremy shared about true love?