1. 2.3 What is Love?

2. To Be A Lover Like Jesus  At the last supper, Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment to “Love one another as he had loved them.” (John 13.34)  Jesus makes it clear that His unconditional love should be our model for loving others.

3. A Christ-like love is not just an emotion, it is also a decision.  At the last supper, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples (the task of a servant).  True love requires a deliberate choice to give and serve, even when the service may go unnoticed or unappreciated.

4. A Christ-like love desires what is best for the other.  When Jesus told the man to sell all of his wealth and possessions and give the money to the poor, he did so because, he saw that the man’s possession were weighing him down. (Mark 10:17-22)  Jesus is challenging us to meet the needs of others and not just their wishes.

5. A Christ-like love understands and accepts the emotions of others  When Lazarus died, Jesus wept. Jesus shared in the pain and sorrow showing empathy for others and how they feel. (John 11:32-44)  We too are often challenged to show empathy towards other and feel in their joys or sorrows.

6. A Christ-like love is generous and does not calculate the cost of giving  When the woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and annointed them with expensive perfumed oil, Jesus praised the woman for her generous love. (Luke 7:36-50)  Often we only give to those in need if we feel we can afford to spare the cost; Jesus challenges us to make a true sacrifice.

7. A Christ-like love is not repulsed by illness or ugliness  Jesus understood that those who were ill needed to know that they were more than their illness. He reached out and touched the man with leprosy and accepted him in spite of his illness (Mark 1:40-42)  Jesus challenges us to see beauty in all people - we are all made in God’s image.

8. A Christ-like love is patient and forgiving  Jesus gave Peter a special commissioning even though Peter denied him after being arrested. (John 21:15-19)  Jesus calls us to show forgiveness and patience towards others as we too would like it to be shown to us. He also showed this with doubting Thomas. (John 20:24-29)

9. A person with a Christ-like love takes time for themselves and others  Even when Jesus was overwhelmed by the crowds asking him to cast out demons and heal their illnesses, he still took the time to talk to God on his own and reflect in private prayer. (Mark 1:32-38)

10. A Christ-like love doesn’t suffer needlessly nor run from suffering and denying love  When the people of Nazareth wanted to kill Jesus out of anger he slipped away since it wasn’t his time yet. (Luke 4:14-30)  When Jesus was arrested in Jerusalem, he didn’t try to escape. He accepted his crucifixion.

11. The cross is a symbol of Christ-like love  Jesus’ arms outstretched on the cross remind us that we are called to love without limits or conditions.  Through his death, Jesus showed us a love that is not based on revenge, but instead seeks to reform.

12. Unconditional love  Love without limits and conditions.  A model of love provided for us by Jesus, that calls us to accept each other as we are and see the image of God in each other.  Love is the most basic Christian virtue. Unless we approach every situation with a loving attitude we cannot make the choices that God calls us to make.

13.  Love is not just an emotion - Love is willed.  Love is a call to service and action to do what is good for others.  Love is what drives people to feed the poor, or visit the infirmed and those imprisoned.  We must strive to develop loving habits, so that we do the loving thing naturally.