As a pastor, I think about this very thing quite often. As I ponder back on my pastoral training, I recall being taught that programs were necessary and that a “successful” pastor was one who could “grow” the church and make it big and thus meaningful.

God has taught me many things, I am thankful that I have learned that when I think about what I am “to do” as the pastor here, I must think first of how whatever I am thinking of shows the love of God? How does what I am thinking of encourage others to know the love of God?

At this time of year especially I regularly encourage the church here to look at where they are already at and ask themselves, “How am I loving people as God loves me?” I am constantly tempted to lean on a program or think up an ingenious plan to promote the church. Yet, I know that our God knows the way and the only way for me is to love God and let Him love me so I love those around me most fully.

If I live to be 100, I will still be learning how to love others more completely as I continually discover how vast our God’s love is for me.

So, I have to wonder, okay maybe I don’t wonder so much as have formed or come to the opinion that God reveals Godself and what He wants from us within faith communities. Then maybe these faith communities wrestle with the revelation, what God has said and how to communicate that revelation to posterity and other faith communities. I am, therefore, of the opinion that God revealed that we are to love and the faith communities which then tried to codify love and came up with the Law, a statement of what love looks like in view of how you don’t treat one another. Kind of like the Great Rabbi Hillel’s statement, “That which is hateful to you don’t do to others, this is the Law all the rest is commentary,” which Jesus restates in the positive. Jesus seems to state the totality of the Law in the positive too, Love! Love God, love everybody else even those who despise you.

Looking at Jesus for examples of love is an amazing and sometimes frustrating task. In no doubt was He the perfect representation of love even when it came to loving his enemies. This is what I and I think others struggle with from time to time.  Its so easy to love people whom you have nothing against or who like already, but for those that rub us the wrong way, that’s a different story. For example, if someone was to walk into my parent’s house and kill my mother, the last thing I would want to do would be to forgive him and say that Jesus loved him still. I would rather take a shotgun and shoot both his kneecaps, douse him with gasoline and then light a match engulfing the bastard in flames. Now I’m not saying that this would be in anyway right, but it just goes to show you the magnitude in which Jesus loved all people by being able to forgive his enemies.

This blog ties in nicely with the last blog, “Love, Exemplars, and brain structure II.“In the last blog I discussed how I am no where near being and exampler, but I believe that God is forgiving and will love you no matter what you have done; this action of forgiveness is so powerful. I do not posses enough forgiveness for those around me; that is yet another weakness that I obtain!

With Jesus’ death on the cross and the self-sacrificial love He embodied, I think it’s important to remember the self-sacrificial love of His Father in Heaven as well.  I don’t think it’s intentional, but I feel that the Father’s love has, sometimes, been overshadowed by Christ’s love on the cross.  While being triune, God the Father and God the Son were also separate at that time.  When I think about that, I wonder which sacrifice was harder.  Not that one has to be harder than the other, but was the loss of His own life, greater than God the Father’s witnessing of His Son’s trial, beating, betrayal by other, mocking, pain and death? 
I think, through the Cross and Resurrection, we can learn and practice the self-sacrificial love of the Son, and also, the sacrificial love of the Father.  I think this double representation of love adds to the relationality of who God is and allows for even greater insight into how we love in community and in the world.

I completely agree that the perfect example of how we are to love others is found in Christ. I also agree with earlier blog posts that Christ is also the perfect example of God’s love. The fact that we see both of these images in the same symbol is inspiring. I think, no matter how often humans have failed and how consistently we have continued to fail, that we can love perfectly. Love is not something that is held out of our reach but instead something we are encouraged to do. I needed a reminder like this today.

I agree that we should look to Jesus as the example of giving, showing and sharing love. It is ironic in religions that believe in Jesus only as a prophet, still choose to quote him more than any other culture. He obviously has a lot to offer, especially on the topic of love. Not only did Jesus show and tell us how to love, he was an example of God’s love for his people. This is why I like this aspect of the weslyan tradition, because it is based on love and Jesus’ teachings to the church on love. Some times I think churches only focus on the negative aspects of life and forget to to teach us how to do nice things like love one another.

I really enjoyed this blog:) Even though those passages are read constantly to show the love Jesus had for us and the love we should show to others it also opens ones mind of what it means to truly be perfectly loving. Although every person has their flaws in life we all can still love as God has requested from us. From my own experiences I have found it difficult at times to show love for my neighbors but then I look back on these passages and think I am no one to judge their life or what they do all I can do is have love for them and God will take care of the rest. I agree that Jesus is the most important person who can help God’s children understand the meaning and how to express love. I believe if we did not have the love commandment we would be lost and without love.

Jesus would be the ultimate example of love since He is God incarnate and God is identified with love in Scripture. Although I have problems with the way some Christians generalize certain actions of Jesus, I believe that nothing Jesus did was unloving. Jesus’ words describe love in a very deep way and His actions exemplified it in the best way possible. Christians today should look to both for how best to love whenever Jesus’ principles can clearly be applied.

It is hard to examining the intention of human’s act when there is words like: law, commandments, rewarding connects to it. It’s like the scripture is telling you, how many actually intent or think about intending to do that? Break the commands would be breaking God’s word – who would want to do that? And there would be no rewarding. How many actual human loves their enemies? If human actually do that there wouldn’t be war wouldn’t there? It’s easy to look at scripture and see what you should do but it’s a much harder thing connecting it to life of reality - somehow things like scripture and love don’t come first.

Jesus is the only perfect example of love we will ever know. Although we are called to do likewise, I don’t think human love ever comes close to the perfect conditions of love that Jesus sets forth in the bible. There is the long verse about love being patient and kind. But even the most loving people I know sometimes act in mean or impatient ways towards others. For instance parents love their children, but my own parents have a short fuse and lose their patients/temper with people quite easily. But they still love. I know that I have a hard time forgiving people who have hurt me, and I don’t really think I hold love for my enemies. I wish I could say I turn the other cheek or that I love regardless, but I know in these areas I fall short.

Jesus is a true exemplar of love. One can always look to Jesus to know love and how to practice love. One of the hardest loves, is to love one who has hurt you or those you love. To some degree and depending on the circumstances, it can be easier to forgive those we know, who we have loved and have wronged us. It is extremely difficult and almost seems impossible to love one who has caused ill being whom we have no relation with what so ever. In order to forgive in these circumstances, I believe one must look Jesus. Jesus is the perfect example of loving everyone, regardless of their past, present and future.

Jesus is greatest lover of all. He love us unconditionally and there will be nobody who will love as he does. The forgiveness Jesus has given us show his love like no one else. We aren’t capable to forgive like he does. We hold grudges towards others, he strengthens relationships towards others. Humans will never love like God, but we should strive to do so.

The title of this blog really caught my eye this week. I know it’s meant for the time around Easter, but I know that it is applicable to any time of the year. I think it caught my eye because this week for Sunday School with our teens I am talking about compassion and love in action.
Reading this really made me feel like I am talking about the right thing with them. It’s so important to exemplify Jesus love in all areas of life and to show it through our actions. Jesus really is the prime example of how to love. I think that often times we forget the situations that Jesus has shown us to show what love really is.
I read this and I am reminded of the love that Jesus showed then. But, then I think about the love that Jesus shows us today. There are so many ways Jesus shows me love today. I am constantly feeling blessed because of His great love for me and for all humankind. I am encouraged to go out into the world and show the same kind of love towards all people I come in contact with.
Jesus. The prime example.

I have to admit that there are many times where I need to stop and think about Jesus’ love. I have to think if I am reflecting that same kind of love. I preach it all the time to our teens, but am I exemplifying that kind of love to others? I think that most days I do that really well.
It’s those days where I am frustrated, annoyed, upset, and many more emotions that I need to be reminded of the kind of love Jesus had and showed to us. I love that you put this blog up. It helps me to stay grounded in Jesus’ love when I am reminded of how Jesus showed love and continues to show it to us through the Bible.
We are a lucky people to understand and know this kind of love. Of course we won’t know fully until we are in heaven with Jesus. But, it’s comforting to know that we have some sort of idea of it all.
Good blog!

Very nice overview of the incredible love which we are both blessed with receiving,and commanded to give to others. Indeed the culmination of love is found in the crucifixion. It makes you wonder though, precisely what Jesus meant when he said in Luke 14:26 about hating even those who ought to mean the most to us, in order to be his disciple.

I couldn’t help but think of the execution of Paul Rhoades that took place this morning as I read this blog entry. Jesus called us to love our enemies, and while I can’t imagine the pain of the victims’ families, I am certain that the taking of a life is not right. It weighs heavy on my heart that many Christians would agree with such a sentence. I recall that Jesus turned away those who wanted to kill a woman for her sin/crime.

I think we put love on a pedestal. That is not to say that love is not important. What I mean to say is that we talk a lot about love and the example of Jesus.  We talk about how hard it is to love occasionally but this usually means we’re talking about difficult people and how they can be irritating. In reading Terence E. Fretheim’s The Suffering of God I have seen a lot concerning the risk of love. Love is not fun and games and it doesn’t mean you end up putting up with difficult people, though that may be part of it.  Love is risk and vulnerability, even on the part of God. Love is opening yourself up to the possibility of being rejected and still seeking relationship in whatever intensity is allowed.  Love is not easy, fun, or rewarding. It can be but there are no guarantees. Love is the ultimate gamble.

I become confused by the words “Owe no one anything”. I feel by asking for help, or by receiving help unasked for, you owe the person helping you. If God calls us to help, then we are breaking the rule of owing noting. I guess I just don’t understand why owing is such a bad thing. Relying on your neighbor, to me seems like something God would favor.

I think that the phrase, “followers should also love the downtrodden, outcasts, and marginalized” is a very important command/encouragement.  It is easy to love people who are easy to love; such as significant others, friends, family, etc.  However it can be difficult to love those who are different from you.  This is a problem I have seen in the Church over the years.  Sometimes they get this “elitist club” mentality and shun those who do not live up to their “standards”.  Jesus showed us how to love and accept others with a kind heart.  And this is something we must strive for, especially if you call yourself a Christian.

I feel encouraged by reading this blog today. I think it is a good reminder for christians to know that we serve a loving, never failing, merciful God. Also it’s humbling to know that we have a perfect example of what love should be. I still hold true to my belief that as humans we can never fully understand or achieve perfect love like God. What I do believe and appreciate in my faith is this, that I have a God that loves unconditionally, all things, no matter what. That seems like a pretty hefty load. I needed a reminder of just how great God’s love is.

This is a subject I think a lot of us should spend more time thinking about, myself included (probably more than most). Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in our own lives and worries that we forget to help those around us who are in need. This lays a heavy burden on my heart that I have not done what I should in the past and I hope to change my actions for furture oppotunities.
Another aspect of this that I have also struggled with is loving those who hate- I know I am only human and will always fall short of God’s grace, but this is something I am hoping to intensly work on. I have made mistakes in my past and God still chooses to love me, the least I could do is show that love to those around me. They don’t necessarily deserve it but neither did I. Without forgiveness and love, we are all lost.

This blog was a good reminder that Jesus is to be our example of how to love.  I especially liked the descriptions of the many different ways that Jesus loved and how we are to imitate him. It is amazing that to love is to fulfill God’s greatest commandment. And I feel it is something that we can be continually working on.

This blog talked about verses and stories that I have heard my entire life. I too often find it easy to take these for granted and take them to heart. There is a lot of encouragement in Jesus’ words of love, but there are also some super difficult commandments. I like the idea of helping the needy, and I want to think of myself as one who does, but when I really look at my actions and see all the times that I could have helped and just walked by, it is disheartening. I want to be an imitator of Jesus, and follow out his commands to love those around me, the needy, and even my enemies.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s some powerful statement, but I think that it’s unlikely to be followed (all the time).  We are selfish beings, unless one considers himself/herself Jesus, in which case it’s not a matter of being loving but rather of being delusional.  I agree in that we should help those whom are in obvious need, but to me “neighbor” implies a broader pool of individuals.  “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, anticipating nothing in return.”  I wholeheartedly believe in the latter, but the part of loving you enemies is a bit confusing to me.  For example, to defend my own and my country I’ll go to war, and I’ll do my absolute best to suppress, quell, and overwhelmingly annihilate my enemy(s).  So am I to say to our enemies, “I’m sorry my neighbor, but I’m going to have to lovingly shoot you.”  Is my capacity for love flawed?  Though my heart goes out to those who are hungry, lame, outcasts, marginalized, and ill, I’d never have been able to wash the feet of say.., Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, or Caligula.  Jesus set a high benchmark, something to aim and strive towards.  I’m truly envious of those who can truly and absolutely love anyone without reservations.  Is there a living human being out there like that- other than Mr. Rogers? Sorry, but I doubt that.

I think that everything that is talked about in this article is something that we all need to do more of. I think that some people are better than others at loving everyone. I struggle with this especially if it is someone who has hurt me before, or if I don’t really know them. I still love people for who they are but I am by no means perfect or great at it. I think that God is looking for us to do our absolute best at it under any and every circumstance. Jesus showed us what we must try to be, and like I have mentioned in another blog we may not be capable to love perfectly all the time but in moments in time I believe that we can!

“Jesus loves me.” I have been taught and told my whole life that this is true, and I believe it. Jesus commands that we are to love others and demonstrate His love like He has done. At points in my life this is very difficult, but I try to show His love everyday. This blog reminded me of just how much Jesus loves us, no matter what we do, “while yet we were still sinners Christ died for us.” As Christians we are commanded to follow God, and we do this simply by showing His love.

The love Jesus has for His children is absolutely incredible. He would give up anything for us. He did not have a selfish bone in his body. I would consider Jesus’ love perfect. Since His love is perfect, it pushes me to thrive to love like Him. There is only one problem, it seems that my earthly habits always interfere in what I know is right. Even if I strive to love like Christ, I will never make it close to what He was able to do for us. Therefore, it makes me appreciate and love the perfect love that He bestowed upon us. I am encouraged to know that in my worst times, Jesus will love and take care of me.

I believe that this concept of love is at the very core of what it is to be Christian. If we as Christians strive to be like Jesus, live like he lived, then we must love as he did. It really is true that if we truly love our neighbors (including our enemies) than we are fulfilling the law. It is awfully hard to love your neighbor and steal, kill, lie, covet, etc. In my mind, humans lack the full ability to love like God does due to sin and other human limitations. If we want to love like God loves, we must ask Him for it. I believe this type of True Love can only come from God.

I feel as if love is the central unit that connects everyone together. Everyone experiences love for something but I think in religion, it is our love of a higher power that we make us all connected. I like what it says in Luke, that everything comes second to love. I do not think that I will fully understand the type of love that God has for us. But what I do understand is how our purpose on earth is to love and I know that God’s love for us is so strong and we need to give that love, and express it onto others. I feel like the more we love, the more we are able to be like Christ.

I like the idea that Love is our overarching guide to life. When there are is a conflict between “rules” and love, love should always win. I think love is our best guide to live by, using Jesus example to love we can or should learn to love even our enemies. I am not sure it is humanly possible to love everyone and everything, but to learn to be able to love something that you completely despise would be to truly surrender your life to Jesus and His love.

In Jesus’ parable that explains who is to be considered your neighbor, it is clear anyone in need is considered your neighbor. I have a hard time comparing that to many situations we are put in today, such as people with signs begging on the side of the street. We are taught we cannot always trust people, and we can’t just give them money.  So how do we love them as our neighbor? It is hard to adapt and learn to show love in situations as they are presented to us.  For me, showing love to any enemy in your personal life by choosing not to retaliate is easier than showing love to those you see in need in passing.  I feel this way because it seems easier to show love through non-action than through something that would require me to go outside of my comfort zone and act out love to those I do not know.

Jesus is definitely the perfect example of love, and an example that our world needs right now! The Church as a whole needs to focus on this prime example of love, and let it flow through their lives. For too long there has been a stereotype of Christians who are all about the rules, the do’s and don’ts of religion. But if we were able to actually grasp Christ’s love for us, and let that that love flow through us an influence heavily every decision that we make in our lives, it would change the world. We want to talk about doing big things, but if every person who calls themselves Christians, heck even if only half of all people who call themselves Christians truly showed love through every action in their lives, that would change the world. That would win the world over to Christ.

Sometimes I think we get too caught up in our grand plans of reaching out to the marginalized and ‘loving the unlovable’ that we become too theoretical. We fail to take any practical action. We proclaim, “love the needy,” and try to do so by sponsoring a child or volunteering at a food bank, but we forget what ‘needy’ could look like in our own backyards. What about the shy guy who sits by himself during math class? Or an acquaintance who could use someone taking a genuine interest in her day? Opportunities for simple but poignant acts of love crop up all around us, if we would just take the time to slow down and show Jesus to the people who have become blurred, familiar faces in our busy lives.

These are the verse in which Jesus directs his people to follow his love. I think people (in general) have a hard time putting anyone above themselves because society is telling us to “look out for yourself.” I find it easy for myself, and others to look upon society to tell us what we should do for others in the sense of “owing” them. The law makes it alright to have loans on just about anything, but the Bible tells us to “owe no one.” EXCEPT love. You just can’t go wrong with owing someone love…

The phrase “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is the verse I remember the most when I remember verses in the Bible.  In fact, this is the lifestyle I wish to emulate the most for my future.  Primarily the reason I went into medicine in the first place was to help others, regardless of their age, gender, nationality, religion, or lifestyle.  Jesus tells is that this aspect that we should emulate is a form of self-sacrificial love, and I live up to it to a tee.  To me, I love myself through the love that I give to others that need it more than I do.

I think of daily life, as a Christian, and remember through this blog post the goal to be Christlike in our love. This means a shift in thinking and action that is hard to initiate, but worthwhile. As we are experiencing in the current Wesley Conference, this drive to love, centered in the image of Christ’s mission of justice, is essential to the Christian walk.

We may not know exactly how to define love, but we have a perfect example of a person of love in Jesus Christ. It is humbling to know that Jesus became a man, yet was still able to love to extraordinary measures. His life was full of love and serves as the perfect example of what we should strive towards. Of course, we aren’t perfect like Jesus, but I still think we can love perfectly. We may not always get it right, but each day we should strive to love our neighbor. As we grow in understanding of the character of Jesus, I think we can grow in our ability to love others like he loved them.

I’m not saying this to just criticize people but to encourage all of us. Jesus did not say all these thing to tell us we are not able to be like him. A teacher does not teach you to tell you its not possible, the point of teaching is providing the understanding to be able to do. Jesus wants us to follow in his footsteps and is giving us the means to be able to accomplish that. What he wants is for the world and people he loves to succeed and grow. None of his words should hinder us and the fact christianity is still as prominent as it is 2 millennia later shows His truth. The only thing limiting us is ourselves.

Jesus gives us the example of how to love. He teaches us how to love one another through His word. It is often hard to truly live a life full of loving like Jesus did. For example, loving enemies is a very difficult task for me. The concept of loving someone who did you wrong or hurt you are struggles I face quite often, but Jesus shows love to enemies, needy, and to everyone.

This blog really correlates with our extra mile love project. With this project I learned, I do not love and do random acts of kindness enough. This is something I plan on changing in the future. I believe how God loves is something we should model our love after. The hardest part of loving how God loves is Loving your enemy. This is a struggle for me and I am sure with others. I believe this is the area we as a society struggle with the most.