Love Like Jesus

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”( Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

The Temptation

It was after the 40 days of temptation by Satan that Jesus returned to Nazareth. At the synagogue, He read from Isaiah 61. If you read Isaiah 61, as I have discussed before, it is the mission statement of Jesus. The ministry of Jesus was all about love and kindness. Yet Jesus overlooked sin under the very core of righteousness. An example of this was the woman the Pharisees caught in adultery; Jesus did not condemn her.

Strength In Kindness

Even though Jesus was kind, it was not a trait of weakness; it was a kindness of strength that rescued many during his ministry. His heart was one of sacrifice. Jesus did not eat for forty days during His temptation in the wilderness yet fed the multitudes. He had compassion for them. Although Jesus knew He would die having His hands and feet pierced by nails, Jesus restored a man’s hands in the synagogue and a man’s feet and legs at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus faced the horrors of death; He was both God and man, yet he told others to fear not death, Jairus, Mary, and many more.

Can You Feel It?

Let me ask you have you received the incredible love of Jesus Christ? Has He redeemed you, forgiven your sins, restored you to the Father? If he has, go out and live a life of kindness in a world where it is hard to find. Begin at home; this is where I struggle most. My brutal honesty sometimes becomes uncaring. I sometimes lack patience. Because of sickness and pain, I have become less tolerant. Be patient with family; be loving and forgiving. Appreciate your family members for who they are.

Make Change

Be kind at work or school to those who are kind and, more importantly, to those who are irritating. Above all, God calls us to love our enemies. True love is countercultural; revenge and retribution are natural. God is love; in the Old Testament, the law and prophets were summarized by love. Kindness is beautiful, but more essential, it is crucial. Acts of kindness encourage kindness from others.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

(Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

Shalom Alecheim, may peace be upon you. Love with the love of Christ. Blessings!