Live Like Jesus & Love Like Jesus

Imagine this with me for a moment. Let's say you have a top-notch friend. We are talking best-man or maid-of-honor material. You love this person. This is the kind of friend that you can call at the drop of the hat — your ride or die, one and only, the peanut butter to your jelly.  

Now let's say, God forbid, they find themselves in trouble. Whether it's a tough breakup or trauma in their family, what is your reaction? You do something, right? You show up at their house with some ice cream. You call them the moment you find out. You check-up on them every day while they go through a difficult time.

Driven by love, action is your default reaction. Your actions reflect your love. The two are inseparable.

When you love someone, you will act on their behalf.  Tragically, many people profess love, but fail to attach it to action. Scripture seems to suggest that this isn't true love at all. Instead, love without action is just a good intention.

When Jesus was confronted about the nature of loving your neighbor, he told a parable that proves this point. Love is not merely a feeling. Rather, love is an action.

TENSION / ILLUSTRATION

In 2019 there was a famous social media battle coined "the chicken sandwich war." Our entire country spiraled into upheaval over a chicken sandwich. The story starts simply enough. A national chicken company called Popeyes, owned by the Burger King Corporation, added a cajun chicken sandwich to their menu.

Within forty hours, the floodgates of Facebook opened. This crispy sandwich had the popularity of a Kardashian. With the lines wrapped around restaurants, you'd think they were giving these things out for free. Nope, it was just a fried chicken frenzy. Locations quickly ran out of buns, pickles, and employees. People began scalping fake sandwiches online. Riots broke out at a few locations. Ultimately, many shops just shut their doors due to the high demand.

While everyone was pouring into their local Popeyes, I pulled into another famous chicken restaurant with a bright red sign: Chick-Fil-A. Immediately, a friendly red-polo-wearing employee knocked on my window.

"What's your name, and what can we make for you?" She asked. She seemed so happy. I bet her name was Joy. Joy encouraged me to pull forward while she walked backward at the same pace as my vehicle. She flawlessly took our order, offered us a milkshake upgrade, and took our payment. Upon handing me the receipt, she grinned, "My pleasure. Have a blessed day." We had waffle fries in our hands within mere minutes. That day really was blessed.

I will pick Chick-fil-A over Popeyes every single time someone suggests fast food chicken. Why? Because their customer service set them apart. I know that I will be in-and-out quickly, efficiently, and without a headache. That's not been my experience with their competitors. I choose their product because of the way they treat people.

As a business, they're world-renown for their excellence in customer service. They treat people well. They happily say, "my pleasure." And they will always correct problems. Sure, their food is good, but people know them for their service.

This whole thing got me thinking — what is the Church known for? According to news outlets and online blogs, the Church is criticized for its judgmental outlook and political leanings. It's heart breaking. Are we losing to a fast food restaurant? It appears as though we are known better for screaming at people than serving people. This is completely contrary to what Jesus preached.

• "Good Samaritan" has become a common phrase in our culture.

• This title is often employed by newspapers and television anchors whenever a stranger assists someone in need. It's polite, endearing, and aspirational. Everyone wants to be a Good Samaritan.

• However, this was not the case during Jesus' time on earth. The mere mention of a Samaritan would have made people gasp and clench their fists They hated Samaritans. It wasn't just a mutual disagreement or dislike.

• There was a full-fledged race-war between the two people groups Jewish and Samaritans. Racism towards them was culturally accepted and even celebrated.

• Not only did Jesus reference a Samaritan, Jesus positioned him as the hero of the story.

• This bold decision was intentional in this parable. The Priest and Levite, who represented pillars in Jewish society, failed to mirror God-honoring love.

• Everyone assumed they'd be the heroes, but Jesus flipped the script

• A Samaritan, a victim of racism and hate, embodied the love of God.

• To set this up, Jesus shares a shocking example of horror and tragedy in this bitesize sermon.

• We tune into a man walking from Jerusalem to Jericho.

• Just the opening line was full of tension. The ancient audience understood that the walk between these two cities was dangerous.

• During the grueling hike, you dropped 3,000 feet in elevation. The twisty-Turvey road was remote, dark, and known for violence. Basically, this guy was hiking into a valley that cut through the bad side of town at night.

• A group of criminals surrounded the innocent traveler as he was walking. His pace intensified, but that didn't stop their plans. The solo traveler was beaten, robbed, and abandoned on the side of the road.

— TRANSITION —

• If you find yourself in a place where you assume every single Christian looks like you thinks like you, and worships like you, then you have sculpted your faith in your own image.

• That’s a dangerous place to be. This parable is a reminder that God’s love is embodied in people that are different from you — even people that you intentionally avoid.

• Every word of this story is a glimpse at the heart of Jesus. How he wants us to live and love in a world that is plagued with division and even racism.

• The parable of the Good Samaritan gives us a two-fold path to living like Jesus.

• First, if we want to live like Jesus, we need to love like Jesus.

1: Love like Jesus

• This parable is designed to describe the nature of Christian love.

• After Jesus proclaimed, "love your neighbor," the religious leader decided to drive the point home. He prodded, "who is my neighbor?"

• Everyone expected this story to shake out like this: "A Jewish man showed love to a lowly Samaritan, that's love."

• Jesus threw in a twist by suggesting that a Samaritan may be closer to the heart of God than the Jewish men of God. This ultimately reveals that we are asking the wrong question.

• We shouldn't ask, "who do I need to love?" Instead, ask yourself, "Do I act like a good neighbor?"

• This parable teaches that you should love everyone — even those that culture deems unlovable.

• We must love like Jesus.

• Jesus loved the outcasts.

• He loved the people the world loved to hate.

• He was a friend to sinners. He had a heart for the marginalized and the minority. Jesus shared meals with those who other people don’t even want in their neighborhoods.

• Why? Because the love of God moved through Him.

• Is love evident in your life?

• What was the proof of the Samaritan’s love and compassion?

• It was his action — not his good intentions, good vibes, or public prayers.

• Love is a verb, which means that our compassion should spur us toward action. There is no one on earth that’s exempt from the love of the Lord.

• There is no one too far from God.

• There is no mistake too big for God’s forgiveness.

• There is no addiction too strong for God’s mercy.

• There is no race, language, or skin color that’s not represented in the Kingdom.

• There is no affiliation, orientation, age, or stage that disqualify someone from God’s love and affection

• We must strive to love Like Jesus! God wants His love to move through you.

2: Live like Jesus

• Jesus was concerned that religious people had become famous for their judgment and superiority.

• This led him to answer a significant question with an even more significant parable. Jesus leveraged this example because He wanted His followers to see things differently.

• As you grow in your faith, you should start to see things differently. It's easy to become laser-focused on ourselves and our own opinions.

• However, Jesus calls us to see the world like He does — through the lens of love.

• Sometimes love looks a little messy. It’s easy to love people who look like you or live like you, but what happens when you are called to love someone so radically different from you?

• It may not be a bloody man on the side of the road, but it can be:

• Someone who everyone else actively avoids due to rumors and gossip about their secret mistakes.

• Someone who doesn’t speak English as their first language and you feel like there is a cultural divide between you and them.

• Someone who you actively dislike even.

• This story is scary. It’s not a mere mugging; this was a full-on assault.

• We tune in on a man walking from Jerusalem to Jericho.

• A group of criminals surrounded the innocent traveler as he was walking. His pace intensified, but that didn't stop their plans. The solo traveler was beaten, robbed, and abandoned on the side of the road.

• They didn't just take his wallet. They nearly took his life.

• The brutal criminals left him for dead.

• A pool of blood circled his motionless body in the mud.

• Without immediate help, death was imminent.

• The sound of walking broke through the silence. Each footstep represented the hope that the victim would survive.

• These weren't just any footsteps. These were coming from the sandals of a priest. A pastor was on his way to work in the city of Jerusalem, the religious capital of the world. Surely, a man of God would stop to help.

• The passage says that the pastor saw him — then passed on the other side.

• Within minutes, a Levite passed by the man as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

• A Levite was a very religious person — who probably worked for the temple in Jerusalem. He was likely a worship leader or children’s church teacher.

• He saw him — then passed on the other side.

• I imagine both of these men walked into their Bible study and lifted up prayers for this bleeding man on the side of the road.

• The small group members likely joined in prayer before listening to the message from the Priest or Levite.

• They acknowledged the problem, but they didn't do anything. These men had the entire Torah memorized, but it didn't cross their minds to actually cross the road to do something for the dying man.

• This heartbreaking parable shows us something important.

• Knowledge of Scripture should lead to action, not arrogance.

• It is possible that they didn't want to get blood on their fancy church clothes, or they didn't think they had the time to help the man.

• Regardless, they missed the point of their ministry training. This bleeding man represented an interruption to their ministry, but Jesus said he was the object of their ministry.

• They had memorized thousands of verses about the love of God, but it didn't change their behavior.

• When asked to explain love, Jesus started by showing us what love is not.

• It’s not just kind words, good vibes, or volunteering at church.

• True love overflows from inside you to others around you — changing the way you approach all people.

• This passage serves as a warning to all followers. We serve a God of love, so we are called to mirror that. The love of God and the love of the people God created are intertwined with one another.

• What are you known for? Most of us would say something like humor, sports, or your fashion sense. All those are fine, but you are ultimately called to be know for one thing — love (John 13:35).

• When we see the world like Jesus, we see everything through the lens of love.

TALK IT OUT Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Q1: How can Jesus' lesson about the good samaritan for the Jewish people be applied to our culture today?

Q2: How do you tend to treat people who are different from you or your group o friends? How could your actions better reflect God's love for all people?

Q3: Think of a specific "neighbor" you want to love through your actions this week What can you do for them to show them that you care? 

Q4: What do you think you're known for? Why?

Q5: What do you want to be known for? What would you have to change or do to become the kind of loving person God created you to be?

Q6: How does this parable relate to Christians today?

Q8: What's one thing you can do this week to begin showing others the love of God?

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

John 9:13-34 1

John 5:1-12 1

John 5: 12-21

Psalm 71:15-16

Mark 5:1-20

Psalm 22:19-31 1

John 1:2-3

Do the following with each passage:

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.