Loving Other People

In America today, the social and political divide between various groups has grown, leading to an increase in dissension. In recent years, there have been heated divides among groups such as Republicans vs. Democrats; Police Officers vs. Black Lives Matter; Pro Choice vs. Pro Life; Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated; Gun Control vs. Gun Rights; Religious vs. Secular; Transgender vs. Cisgender; Gay vs. Straight; Gen Z vs. Boomers and so on. Political and social discourse feels less like a thoughtful exchange of ideas and more like a battle of ideologies. Each side views the other not just as wrong, but as morally inferior. The rhetoric often devolves into name-calling, stereotyping, and resentment, while both sides are convinced they occupy the moral high ground. The sense of "us vs. them" is so entrenched that many people avoid engaging with those who hold opposing views. This animosity runs so deep that it seems impossible to find any common ground.

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Ancient Parallels: Jews and Samaritans

This modern-day polarization echoes the hostility between Jews and Samaritans during Jesus’ time. For centuries, these two groups—each with its distinct religious beliefs and cultural practices—grew to distrust and despise each other. Jews viewed Samaritans as impure and heretical, while Samaritans resented the Jews for their perceived arrogance and exclusivity. Just like today's political and social divide, Jews and Samaritans segregated themselves, harshly judged each other, and spoke with bitterness. In both ancient and contemporary contexts, failing to love and understand those who are different from us only deepens the divide and prevents any chance of reconciliation.

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The Parable of the Good Samaritan

This tension forms the backdrop for the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, where Jesus challenges his listeners to understand what it truly means to love others. The parable tells the story of a Jewish man who was beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road. Two Jewish religious leaders—those who should have been the most compassionate—saw the man but chose to ignore him. Then, a Samaritan, a member of the very group viewed as the enemy by the Jews, came along. The Samaritan had compassion, tended to the man’s wounds, placed him on his donkey, took him to an inn and paid for the man’s care. In modern terms, the story might go something like this:

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A Modern-Day Good Samaritan

Billy, a lifelong Republican, was driving home one afternoon, proudly wearing his Make America Great Again gear. Just then, his pickup truck broke down. As he popped the hood to inspect the engine, a group of people came up to him, pretending that they wanted to help. Instead, they attacked him and stole his wallet, keys, and phone. They left him bruised and unconscious on the side of the road. The first car to pass by was driven by a local pastor who was also Republican. He saw Billy lying there but thought, “I can’t stop, I’m late for service.” Adjusting his tie, he muttered a quick prayer for help and sped off without slowing down. Moments later, a right-winged seminary professor drove by, noticing Billy’s struggle. But he reasoned, “This road is busy enough— maybe someone else will help him.” He, too, drove on, leaving Billy alone. Then, James, a committed Democrat, passed. James, who had often been mocked and belittled by his Republican neighbors, saw the injured man in his MAGA gear but didn’t hesitate. James stopped, checked on him, and gently bandaged his wounds with a spare shirt. He helped Billy into his car, drove him to the nearest hospital, and stayed until he was stable. Before leaving, James handed his credit card to the front desk, saying, If he doesn’t have insurance, put any expenses on my card.

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A Call to Radical Love

The Parable of the Good Samaritan forces us to reconsider what it truly means to love others. In both the ancient and modern versions, love is not a passive emotion, but a radical, sacrificial action. Love is not about agreeing with someone or sharing their views. It is often shown toward those who may have hurt or offended us. Jesus calls us to a love that transcends the common patterns of the world, a love that is unconditional, unearned, and, at times, even inconvenient. Jesus shared this parable to Jewish people and in the parable, the hero is not the Jewish priest or a Levite, but a Samaritan—an enemy of the Jews. Why did Jesus choose to highlight this? To make the listeners ask, “Who are the people I find hard to love?” and “Am I like the people in the parable who know God’s command to love others, but fail to act on it?” Jesus calls us to love those people too. It may seem like an impossible task, but this is the radical kind of love Jesus demonstrated toward us.

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Gospel-Motivated Love

As followers of Jesus, one challenge we will face is knowing we are called to love others regardless of who they are, but feel temptation to be unloving. So, how do we begin to cultivate this kind of love Christians are called to? Jesus gives us the answer in John 15:12 where He says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” This isn’t just a behavioral command; but one that if understood correctly can stretch our hearts in love. You see, the more we internalize and personalize the depth of Christ’s undeserved love for us, the more we’ll be able to love others who feel difficult to love. Jesus demonstrated this radical, sacrificial love most profoundly on the cross. The cross shows us that we deserved wrath, but were given mercy; we deserved judgment but were given grace; we deserved punishment but were given forgiveness; we deserved separation from God but were given intimacy with God and we deserved Hell but were given Heaven.  So how do we get from hearing about the cross to growing in love?  We invite the Holy Spirit to give us bigger revelation of the cross and then we intentionally meditate on it. As we meditate on the Gospel, our hearts are transformed and we can develop the humility and motivation to love those who feel difficult to love. Then, as that shifts our hearts towards love, we consciously choose to love others the way Jesus loved us.  It isn’t always easy and there will likely be many times we need to rely on God to empower us to do so.  However, the more profoundly you understand the breadth and depth of the cross, the harder it will be to act unloving towards others.

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Truth and Love

While we are called to radically love everyone regardless of who they are, it is important to understand that loving them does not mean compromising the truth. In today’s culture, many people equate disagreement with unkindness, asserting that if you don’t affirm someone’s choices, you’re being unloving. But imagine if a family member was engaged in behavior that was detrimental to their well being. Would it be loving to simply condone it because they enjoy doing it, or would that actually be enabling their harmful choices? The same applies when we encounter people who are living in unrepentant sin or believing falsehoods. Those things are detrimental to their spiritual wellbeing, lives and connections with God. Love doesn’t mean encouraging these things; it means loving people as they are while not enabling or condoning anything God disapproves of. Esteeming truth doesn’t mean we are to act as the ‘moral police’ to non-Christians.  However, when someone is a Christian and caught in persistent, unrepentant sins, we are called to find gracious, loving and gentle ways to bringing that to their attention and point them towards freedom in Christ.  When communicating with others, we are called to hold 100% truth and 100% love, not one at the expense of the other. If we emphasize truth without love, we risk sounding harsh, judgmental, or disconnected from people’s struggles. If we lean too heavily on love without truth, we risk enabling sin and leading people further from the heart of God. True love doesn’t shy away from truth—it invites others to see things as God sees them, and to walk in His ways because His ways are the best for us. Jesus modeled this perfectly: He spoke the truth to those He loved because He knew that embracing the truth was the only way to find true freedom and fulfillment. His love was never at odds with truth; it was always rooted in it. And when we combine truth and love, we reflect that same radical, life-giving love that He demonstrated.

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Growing In Love

Below are biblical principles that can help our heart grow more in love.  Which of them do you think you need to lean more into?

• Gospel Meditation: Meditating regularly on the Gospel can help motivate your heart to love others when your heart feels resistant towards it. The more we meditate on Jesus’ undeserved love for us, the more we are empowered to extend it to others. (John 15:12)
  
• Alone Time With God: God invites us into daily alone time with Him where we can pray, fast and read the Bible. The more intimacy you have with God, the more you will be empowered by His Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23; John 15:1-17)
  
• Discipleship: God calls all of us to be involved in intentional community with other Bible-following, Spirit filled Christians. In discipleship community, you not only pray together and help each other learn God’s word together, but everyone’s spiritual gifts comes together to help mature you in love and Christlikeness. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
  
• Sanctification: The more we abide in Christ through alone time, discipleship and obedience, confession, repentance and asking for heart purification, he will sanctify us. In doing this, he will purify sin in our heart that hinders us from loving more fully. (1 Timothy 1:5; John 15:1-17)
  
• Actively Loving: If we do not actively love others, our heart can grow dull and hardened towards this. We are not called to just love in word, but in deed. (1 John 3:18)
  
  

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Love in Action

Not sure how to turn love into action? Here are some practical ways to love the people you encounter every day:

• Share God: The best thing we can do for others is help them know God. If we truly love people, we should do whatever we can to help them connect with Jesus and experience His love. Sharing the Gospel is the most loving thing we can do.
  
• Share Growth: Encourage others to grow closer to Jesus. If you know someone struggling in their faith, disciple them. Meet up, pray, read the Bible together, and hold each other accountable.
  
• Share Prayer: Pray for others. Lift up their needs and ask God to bless and guide them. Interceding on their behalf is a powerful way to show love.
  
• Share Service: Serve others, both in small and big ways. God constantly serves us, often without us even realizing it. Look for ways to serve those around you, from everyday acts of kindness to more significant sacrifices.
  
• Share Resources: Be generous with what you have. If someone is in need, share your time, money, or possessions with them. God is a giver, and we are called to reflect that in our lives.
  
• Share Hospitality: Show kindness to strangers. Hospitality isn’t just about inviting people into your home; it’s about making people feel welcomed, seen, and loved. Look for opportunities to practice this daily.
  
• Share Time: In a busy, disconnected world, giving someone your time is a powerful way to show love. Put down the phone, look them in the eye, and really be present. It’s a gift that people truly appreciate.
  
• Share Empathy: Everyone has their struggles. Take time to listen and truly understand others. Show compassion and care for what they’re going through.
  
• Share Kindness: Simple gestures go a long way. Smile, offer a compliment, and greet people with warmth. Small acts of kindness can brighten someone's day and reflect Christ's love.
  
• Share Sacrifice: Love often requires sacrifice. Whether it's your time, comfort, or resources, sometimes loving others means giving something up. Remember the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for us, and let that motivate you to love others selflessly.

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Final Thoughts

In a world marked by division, the call to love radically is urgent. As we reflect on the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the profound love Jesus has shown us, we are reminded that love is not about comfort, agreement, or convenience, but about compassion, sacrifice, and action. Jesus calls us to break down the walls of division—whether they are political, ideological, or personal—and to love those who are different, even those who may oppose us. This love is not easy, but it is the very love that transforms hearts, heals wounds, and bridges divides. By understanding the depth of God's love for us, and allowing that love to shape our hearts, we can begin to live out the radical love He demonstrated. It is through this love that we become instruments of reconciliation, reflecting the mercy, grace, and selflessness of Christ to a broken world. As we seek to follow His example, may we be empowered to love not just in words, but in deeds, reaching out to those in need with the same compassion He has shown us.