Two stories from Luke 10 that give me an idea of what love looks like. And that's important to know given the commandment to love God and love your neigbhor was Jesus' answer to a man asking how to inherit eternal life.
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
What Does It Look Like to Love Your Neighbor?
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
What Does It Look Like To Love God?
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
There's a way to serve well (merciful) and there's a way to serve that leads to distraction/anxiety/trouble. Avoid the latter by sitting down and listening to his teaching (reading Luke).
Bonus Tip: While not the main message of the passage, it's probably a good idea, when having people over for dinner, not to get too carried away with what you're serving and whether the table is perfect and the house is spotless. Chill out, enjoy your company and listen to them.
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After pubishing this post, I re-open as I think I've missed a big part of this chapter. Matthew 19 and Luke 10 are both stories of men asking Jesus how to inherit eternal life. In today's reading, it is important to note that the man asking the question is said to be testing Jesus with his question. Jesus, I'm sure, sees through this. His answer, to love, is correct, but at the same time, He knows that this is beyond the man's ability. It's above all our abilities to love God and man perfectly. Will we be graded on our ability to love relative to others? No. God demands perfection (Matthew 5:48). The real answer lies in the stories of those that fall at His feet asking for mercy. What comes from his mercy to us? Love for Him and love for our neighbor. OK - I feel better now....
