Who Deserves Your Love?

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Key Verse: Luke 10:33

When I was younger, my mom always used the saying “treat others the way you would want to be treated.” For the longest, I just assumed that she just didn’t want me to retaliate against the mean girls at school who made me miserable. However, as I grew older, I realized she was teaching me a valuable lesson about love and respect. She was showing me that, no matter who the person was or what they could do for me in return, I should always value everyone’s existence and treat them kindly. As I go through my day to day life, I don’t judge people on what they lack or what they have. I simply try to always address them with respect and show them the love that they deserve. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows us how not to treat strangers that may be less fortunate.
The first thing Jesus shows us is that we never know how someone got in the situation they are in (v.30). This detail is so important. When we see homeless people on the street or people who aren’t living up to our standards, we often make assumptions about how they got there. Well, here is a reality check. I do not believe that the average person grows up saying that they want to be a drug addict, homeless, or have a family that struggles to make ends meet. We all have these elaborate dreams that include having a decent income and good health and strong romantic and/or platonic relationships. We do not know what happened in their life, and quite frankly it does not matter. The mistakes that they made in their life is not justification for any of us to treat them poorly. God has the power to humble you and put you in their shoes. Showing them love is a way to show God that you are grateful for all of His many blessings.
The second thing that Jesus shows us is that the people who claim to be religious don’t always make the best decisions (v.31-32). We are quick to use what other people, especially people in leadership, are doing as justification for our own actions. God called us to follow Him first. So, if the pastor of your church isn’t truly following Jesus, then you need to evaluate your membership. If the director of your ministry isn’t following what God says, you need to realign your life with Christ. Walking past the wounded, whether that is physically, spiritually, or emotionally, is unacceptable regardless of what others are doing. Everyone deserves love. There are no limits to God’s love and, since we are made in His image and striving to be more like Him every day, we shouldn’t have limits either.
The third thing that Jesus shows us is that we need to care for people where they are (v.33). It is easy for us to love those who are in our social circles or “on our level,” but it takes a special kind of heart to get out of your comfort zone and show love. We must help nurse the person back to health. Jesus even shows us that being busy is no excuse for not helping because the Good Samaritan then finds someone else to help with the situation (v.34). Even in situations where we feel that we can’t be of assistance, there is always someone available that can help. The question is: How willing are we to find those resources when it doesn’t benefit us directly?
God wants us to love others without limits. He doesn’t want us to cast judgment upon their situation. He doesn’t want us to use poor leadership as an excuse not to help others. Instead, He wants us to meet people where they are and help them see their value. God loves you. Can He trust you to share His love with others?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Lord, please help me to work on my biases towards people. Help me to grab hold of what you want me to do with my time on Earth. I want to love people where they are and nurse them back to life with your power. Lord, I love you and I praise you in advance for the miracles that are about to happen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.