A friend of mine was praying and in that prayer she asked to be able to love other people. She boldly went on to specify that she wanted to love others like Jesus loved. Immediately, all sorts of pictures of Jesus loving people flashed through my mind.

Suddenly I saw my own weakness in this area. It is easy for me to love people who show love, or even “like” to me. I usually feel good in their presence. They, in fact, are the people I tend to hang with and seek time in their presence.

But what do I do with those who do not readily show appreciation of me, my ideas, my style, etc.? What about those who do not voice their approval or value of me? What about those who may look at me, my actions, my words, or my family with a shade of criticism? What about those who seem to interact with me in a way that demonstrates their superiority?

My pattern is to gently withdraw myself from these people. When hostility is shown by those beyond my immediate circle, I create an even safer distance.

So my love for people is not like that of Jesus. Those two sentences in my friend’s prayer challenged my heart. I want to grow in this area, so I am looking at some of those pictures of Jesus that flashed through my mind. I see one in Mark 3:1-6. 

Jesus Loves Hard People in Hard Times –
Love that Makes People Whole
In Mark 3:1-6, Jesus goes against tradition and heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. He took a stand and loved a man by restoring the use of his hand. Jesus is in the business of helping people to become whole. It took courage to stand before the critical religious leaders and love this man.

“Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. ² And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴ And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵ And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.”

Love in the Face of Hostility
This passage notes that Jesus was grieved in His heart about the hardness  of heart and lack of love these leaders had for their fellow man.  Jesus had a righteous anger about their lack of love.  They stood watching and waiting for Jesus to show his love for this man and in so doing violate their law, their standard. The hearts of these religious leaders were hard – filled with envy, criticisms and wrong judgment. Yet, Jesus loved them.

Love Is Grief at a Hard Heart
You may think, “How did He love them?” Jesus’ love for them is noted by the fact that He felt sadness towards them and the condition of their heart. This so to speak softness of heart towards their hardness of heart demonstrates God’s overall heart of mercy towards man. Jesus did not condemn them but instead was grieved at the condition of their heart.

Love Asks Poignant Questions
Jesus did not speak harsh words to them, but rather, asked a gentle but poignant question that would lead them to reflect on what is right, just, equitable and good. See Mark 3:4.

“And He *said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent.” Mk. 3:4

Love Is Vulnerable
Jesus did not withdraw himself from this circle of hostility, but He made himself vulnerable to their hostility. Jesus shows these leaders what love really looks like by taking a stand and publicly healing this man. Jesus could have followed this man out; pulled him aside privately and healed him, if the healing was all He was about.

In this act of love towards the man with the withered hand in the company of hostile men, Jesus deliberately and vulnerably loved these men by very clearly revealing to them that He was the Son of God. He was vulnerable, opening Himself to their conspiracy of hate, and loved them enough to show them God in the flesh.

What about Me? What about You?
I tend to withdraw from those who are critical, those who seem disapproving of me; those who are jealous; those who act superior, and definitely those who are hostile.

Jesus looks beyond the hard exterior of people, and He has compassion for their heart. He sets about to restore the physical being and the inner heart. That is love.

Lord, teach us to love others like you do!

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“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; ⁹ not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9