This Is HIS Year: A Biblical Guide to Grace and GoalsSample

Glorifying God by Loving Others
The Bible tells us we can love God by loving others (Luke 10:25–37). But often, it’s easier to love people more in the abstract than in the specific. We love “humanity,” but we cannot stand our families or co-workers. We love “the poor,” but we get disgusted by the smell of the woman on the train next to us. We trick ourselves into thinking that we love people when we love the idea of people, not real people.

God has something much better in mind for us. Because God has loved us, we are now called to love others truly, from the heart. We are called to love them with actions, words, and affections.

God has placed us in this unique time in history with specific neighbors, family members, and friends. One way we honor the Lord is by loving the people He has placed in our lives.

In Luke 10, Jesus provides clarity for who and how we are to love others. When a lawyer comes to Jesus and asks, “How do I inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25), Jesus responds by citing Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18: We should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. Wanting to justify himself, the man asks, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Within this context, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.

As we see in the story, the care of the Samaritan man was remarkable. Though Samaritans and Jews were enemies, the Samaritan man risked his safety, comfort, and resources to help the stranger. He went beyond cultural norms and expectations to help the vulnerable man, showing extravagant and costly love.

In light of this example of radical love, God also calls us to love the people around us, putting their needs above our own. God helps us grow in love for others, strengthening our patience with people around us, even when they do not deserve it. He teaches us to live with thankfulness and diligence, encouraging and praying for others.

The Samaritan man is a beautiful example of extravagant love, but Jesus’s love for us is even greater. Like the Samaritan man, our Savior reached beyond cultural norms and moderate shows of affection. But unlike the Good Samaritan, Jesus sacrificed His life for us, beaten and killed to set us free. Because of His sacrifice for us, we are now changed to love others by His grace and for His glory.

Reflect and Respond:

1. What people has God put in your life?
2. What would it look like to love the people in your life extravagantly this year?