DOES JESUS CARE?
‘ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ‘ John 13:34
If you just read this verse in John you’re probably like, “yah, good stuff, we all need to live more like this.” What you may not realize is the beginning of this chapter Jesus is on his hands and knees scrubbing 💩 off his disciples feet. The Son of God, holding another man’s dirty 🤬 foot, washing it.
What does loving one another look like for you? How can you and I be better at this command?
I like to think about how people “want” to be loved. There’s a big difference from loving someone how you want to love them and loving them how they want you to love them — BIG difference. If you’re married, you understand this very well.
My bride wants to be loved and she wants to be loved the way she likes. Most of the time is much different than the way I want to love her. Quite the dilemma in the married world. So what the 🤬 do you do?
It comes back to getting to know someone, sharing life with them. When you spend some time with someone you discover what they love and why they love. Once you uncover these mysteries, you can love someone exponentially. It’s like your love goes from a drop of love to a waterfall of love.
Let’s move from loving your spouse to loving your neighbor. I guess you have to ask yourself, “how well do you know your neighbors?” If you haven’t spent any time with them, it’s tough to determine what sort of love they crave.
If you do know your neighbors, when was the last time you shared some love on them? Do they need quality time, words of affirmation, gifts or something else?
When you love someone, it means you are taking the time to discover more about them. What you’re saying is, “you matter, you’re interesting. I want to give you my attention.”
And, as most of you know, attention is our most valuable commodity. Sometimes people just need your presence and attention. Maybe that’s what they are craving?
Before I head into my day, I just thought about how Jesus handled loving others. Here’s a few things that came to mind.
Jesus had compassion.
Plain and simple. He saw their need. He felt what they needed, what they craved and he delivered.
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14
Jesus hosted people for dinner.
This time the crowds had been with him a few days. They were hungry. Imagine a dinner party with Jesus plus a couple thousand people. The point here is, he knew what would make them feel loved. He served them food and hung out with them. Easy lesson to take home.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” Matthew 15:32 NIV
Jesus was generous.
This time Jesus looked way further down the track. We probably would have asked for something else, however, Jesus came through with what we needed, not what we wanted. The point here is that he was generous even to the point of death. He saw what we needed. He knew what would resonate love the most for us — and he delivered.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Jesus lends his ear and time.
You know when you have those 💩 days? It seems like nothing is going your way? Maybe you feel anxious or frustrated with your current life? Maybe you’re comparing your results with someone else? Whatever is bringing you down, Jesus is the one to hear your prayer. And, not just hear your prayer — but hang with you.
Don’t be afraid to say whatever it is. Hell, cuss if you need to, he’s heard it before. We know He is there for us. He knows what we need and sometimes it’s to be heard, it’s to be felt. Sometimes that is the greatest form of love we need, we want, we crave and Jesus delivers.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18
Jesus feels your pain.
Right now the world is hurting. It’s hurting from Covid, it’s hurting from racism, it’s just plain hurting. Over the past month or so, I’ve listened to so many podcasts and read so many books on these topics. Again, I hear so many people in pain and others who just don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.
For these people, you have to know that Jesus hears and sees you. Just as it says here in Luke, Jesus wept. He saw the city and wept for it.
I believe even now he sees what is happening to humanity and wants us to know that he weeps with those who weep. For the families who have lost loved ones — He weeps. For those who have endured racism — He weeps. For those who have lost their jobs and homes — He weeps.
The love that so many need right now is to know that Jesus weeps too.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it Luke 19:41
Jesus is very aware.
I forget most of the time how close Jesus is. Most of the time I imagine He’s just chilling on his throne of gold sipping ice cold gatorade. I dont’ know why it’s Gatorade, but I think He may need the electrolytes. Maybe, maybe not?
The point is Jesus can feel so far away, but He’s really not. This verse in Isaiah really speaks volumes to those who feel Jesus doesn’t really care about you. Once again, He knows exactly what you need. And, if you need to be super close to Him in a season, He makes that happen.
You know those seasons? The one’s where you’re just down? The one’s where you don’t even want to share your feelings with anybody. It’s a tough place to be, I know, I’ve been there. You feel trapped, like a dark hole.
Yah, He sees you. He’s basically saying, “it’s ok, I’m here. I know it sucks right now. I’m going to keep you close. Just hang with me. Sit on my couch, let’s just hang.”
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11
I could go on and on about how Jesus loves us. It’s a fascinating observation even to me. I hope it helps you on your journey as it’s helped with mine.
He loves you and He’s on your side. His love is pretty special and I hope I can emulate it more every day.
