“The Christians, they show love to their neighbors. They do not do to one another what they would not have done to themselves. They speak gently to those who oppress them and in this way they make them their friends. It has become their passion to do good to their enemies. They live in the awareness of their smallness. And everyone of them who has anything, gives ungrudgingly to the one who has nothing. And if they see a travelling stranger they bring him under their roof and they rejoice over him as over a real brother, because they know that they are brothers in God. And if anyone among them is poor or comes into want, while they themselves have nothing to spare, they fast two or three days for him. In this way, they can supply any poor man with the food that he needs. This my emperor is the rule of life for the Christians and this is their manner of life.” —Aristides of Athens, 2nd Century Historian
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
John 13:34
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…”
Matthew 24:12
• We
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:14,15
• Love is an
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Luke 10:27-37
• Love is a
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
2 Corinthians 5:16a
“The kingdom of God is simply seeing things from Jesus’ point of view.” —Millard Fuller, Founder Habitat for Humanity
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance… 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13