If we want to see love in action, we look at Jesus. He was and is love. Look at how he interacted with the Samaritan woman at the well.
“Now [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon” (John 4:4-6).
Here we notice that Christ showed his love by obedience. He “had to go through Samaria” because his Father willed it. It wasn’t the easy or preferred route. In fact, most Jews went around Samaria because of the deep-seated rifts between Jews and Samaritans that went back generations.
Obedience is an important part of love. Jesus told his disciples and us, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). The apostle John reiterated the message later, saying, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands” (1 John 5:3).
Christ’s love was not only obedient; it was sacrificial. When Jesus arrived at the well, he was tired. Besides that, it was noon, the hottest part of the day. The next verses tell us the disciples had gone for food, so there’s a good chance he was hungry too. How eager are you to help someone, whether or not the gospel is involved, when you are exhausted, hot, and hungry? And who would blame us for neglecting others in those circumstances?
Later, we read: [Jesus] told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (John 4:16-18)
This use of the law wasn’t meant to cut the woman down but rather to demonstrate her need for the Savior who was there wanting to save her soul. The other women in town might have considered her unworthy of saving. But Jesus’ love didn’t discriminate, and ours shouldn’t either. We all fall short in the morality department, but God still loves us. James reminds us that often the ones who are successful in the eyes of the world treat others, especially those who are poor, the worst (James 2:6,7). Our affection should not be reserved for people we consider worthy while we turn up our noses at those shunned by society.
In the next verses it became clear the Samaritan woman’s theology was wrong too. Jesus had no problem working with that either. Are we so gracious? Are we willing to work with people who spout half-truths or convoluted truths or who know nothing of the truths of Scripture? Or is it easier to just roll our eyes and talk about “those people”?
Jesus’ entire life embodied love. He left the perfection of heaven to be God with us, and he showed us that love is having mercy on the sinner, having compassion for the hurting, and providing for those in need. He showed us that as true God he has power over the forces of nature so that in our fear we know to turn to him. In love he revealed that the way to defeat Satan is with the Word, so we might overcome the devil. In love he showed that ministry is love in action, that we might serve others. And then he showed how great love could be when he willingly allowed himself to be tortured, put on a cross, and forsaken by his Father in order that we might be with him for eternity.
We could easily dismiss all of this because of Jesus’ divinity. Of course he could love this way. But, before we excuse ourselves from the difficult work of loving the unlovable, remember Jesus’ words the night he was taken captive to suffer and die. He told his disciples: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:15,17).
Our sinful natures will prevent us from ever being able to love perfectly. But that shouldn’t keep us from trying. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the example of Christ, we have access to all we need in order to love well. But we must stay rooted in Christ to draw nourishment from him (Colossians 2:7). My love often falls short. It is only through prayer and Bible study and the strength God provides that I can love the woman who budges in line at the supermarket, the slightly annoying child who isn’t paying attention in class, the people I share my home with, and those I don’t know at all.
I’m not sure there is a greater challenge, nor is there anything more worthy of our time and energy. The world is a cruel place. If Christians aren’t bearers of love, then who will be? With the help of God, we can follow the example of Christ, get out of our comfort zones, squelch our selfishness, and love those God puts in our paths.
Excerpt from: In God’s Orchard: Cultivating the Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life