Group Discussion: Loving Like Jesus

[MissyP89]

Over the past month or so I've been doing a lot of thinking about what it means to love others properly -- that is to say, love people as Jesus loves.

So, how does Jesus love? When we look at Scripture, some of the things that jump out are:

[b]*totality:[/b] Jesus gives fully of Himself, holding absolutely nothing back

[b]*selflessness:[/b] Even though He was mocked and constantly being swarmed by people, Jesus had [i]no regard at all [/i]for Himself.

[b]*humility: [/b]He was generally unwilling to accept public praise for His work, holding everyone else above Himself.

[b]*piety:[/b] He gave all glory to His Father.

[b]*inclusivity:[/b] Everyone was loved the same way, regardless of status or sin.

---

We're supposed to love like Jesus.

Let that sink in: we're obligated to love [b]everyone[/b] we meet in the way I just described up there...

That means we love whether or not they've sinned against us, whether or not we like them, whether or not we feel they "deserve" it. We're to love and love fully.

Scared yet? Because I am. It's a tall order, and I'm really not sure what that kind of love even looks like in our world.

I'm hoping we can kick around this stuff a little bit, and try to glean some wisdom from one another. I'm still in the dark (literally) because of that [url="http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-super-derecho-strikes-m/67383"]immense derecho storm[/url] that hit the Northeast this weekend, but will contribute as I'm able.

For now, I want to start with a few questions.

I wonder how the idea of personal [i]dignity [/i]fits into selfless love. Jesus never cared about His own wellbeing. He poured Himself out for us to the point of allowing Himself to be murdered.

If we're to love like Jesus, what does that mean for us? Are we allowed to stand up for ourselves? If so, to what extent? (Should hurtful people be permitted to walk all over us for the sake of love?)

There's a lot more where this came from, but I think there's plenty to keep us busy for a while.

Thanks in advance for being a part of this!

Pax Christi.

Edited July 3, 2012 by MissyP89

[Papist]

Interesting Missy. I'm gonna have to reflect on this.

I think this is appropriate for the Tranmundane Lane.

[MissyP89]

You're absolutely right. But let's face it, nobody ever goes there.

[Archaeology cat]

This is something I think about, too, though my thoughts hadn't gone quite to the depth of questioning you have here. I must ponder more.

[Papist]

With OPs like this one, maybe that would [img]http://www.helifreak.com/images/smilies/nannybooboo.gif[/img]

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1341341968' post='2452086']
With OPs like this one, maybe that would [img]http://www.helifreak.com/images/smilies/nannybooboo.gif[/img]
[/quote]

why are you flipping me off?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1341341968' post='2452086']
With OPs like this one, maybe that would [img]http://www.helifreak.com/images/smilies/nannybooboo.gif[/img]
[/quote]

[Papist]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1341342480' post='2452090']
why are you flipping me off?
[/quote]

I'd never. I don't think that is what it is doing.

[Seven77]

Thanks for posting this Missy. I'm up for a good ol' phamily discussion. Loving like Jesus is definitely a tall order--- it's pretty much the purpose of life! The commandments of God are summarized by love of Godand love of neighbor: loving like Jesus. How does Jesus love? I like how you broke it up according to the virtues we can observe in the life of Jesus. We should prayerfully ponder each of those aspects of how Jesus loves. The Lord commands us to love as he loved.

Knowing all of this is just the beginning! So whenever I hear Jesus' command to love as he loves I think that it's practically impossible for me. Sometimes I pray, "Lord how can I love another as you, Jesus, have loved us? Unless… you give me your Heart!" So for me it comes down to an exchange of hearts so that we can love with the Heart of Jesus… and it is in his Heart that we can find every one of those virtues we are called to imitate.

If we do all of our actions seeking and being open to receive the Heart of Christ, we'll be on the right path.

[Lil Red]

in a way, i don't think the solution is a one-size fits all answer.

i mean, all the saints loved in different ways, yes? and served differently?

to quote from "My Life With the Saints", talking about holiness but I think what he writes can fit here, because true holiness is loving God and neighbor:

"God's invitation to live out our unique vocations is part of what makes the world so rich. 'How gloriously different are the saints,' wrote C.S. Lewis. Problems arise when we begin to believe that we have to be someone [i]else[/i] to be holy. We try to use someone else's map to heaven when God has already planted in our soul all the directions we need. In that way, we ignore our own call to sanctity....."

"In order to continue on our journey to sanctity, we have to hold lightly others' interpretation of holiness. Not only that, once we set aside the notion that we're supposed to be someone else, we must begin the long process of discovering who we really are and what we are meant to do."

"The universal call to holiness is an invitation to be ourselves. It's also an invitation to remember the sacramentality of everyday life and to realize the great goal that God has set for us: sanctity. ... The call to sanctity is an invitation to friendship with God. It is a call that transformed the lives of the saints into gifts to the One who loved them into being. The invitation to holiness is a lifelong call to draw closer to God, who wants nothing more than to encounter us as the people we are and the saints we are meant to be."

i guess what i get out of this, is that my journey of holiness (and loving) will not necessarily look like another's journey...and that I have to use all that [b]I am[/b] to love. Not shunt away parts of me because they don't look like how another person loves.

(will expound more later)

Edited July 3, 2012 by Lil Red

[Spem in alium]

Thanks for posting this. Gives me a lot more to reflect upon and strive for

[Jaime]

Missy this is one of those times where I get persnickity with words. We are not commanded to love like Jesus.

John 13:34

[quote]A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.[/quote]

He commanded us to love AS he loved, not like he loved. What's the difference? If you do an action like another, it can be similar. It can be close in nature but it doesn't have to be exact. Like is an approximation to the original. To do an action as another action is to replicate it. This is why that Scripture passage scares the poop out of me. To love AS Jesus loved us is to be willing to
[list]
[*]be spit upon by those we love
[*]be beaten and tortured
[*]be humiliated
[*]die
[/list]

I wish that Jesus had only commanded us to love "like" him. Then I could feel like I was doing that every day. I wouldn't have to continue to strive to do better tomorrow. But I don't love "as" Jesus loves me yet. There are people that I love who when they hurt me, I get pissed off. There are people who hate me and I return their hate back to them. Christ's love for me is perfect and therefore, impossible for me to replicate. But he doesn't ask me to try. He commands me to love as he loved. So I have to keep on working on it. Hopefully, if the day ever comes that I am asked for my life, I will have courage enough to love as Jesus loved me.

[MissyP89]

From my iPod. Apologies for brevity.

Red, those quotes are wonderfully appropriate, not only to this discussion bit to my personal life. I think you knew that. Thank you.

Jaime, you made a wise distInction here that's extremely important. I wonder what the original Greek says?

I'm still struggling with the question of self-defense, though. Certainly we shouldn't strike back at those who hurt us, but what about someone who is adulterous? What about defamation of character?

Yes, we need to forgive and we need to pray. But can we step away from those relationships? Is it OK to seek justice?

I think of a parent who punishes a child by taking away games or the car keys. Justice and self-respect are also important. What role should they play in our lives?

[Lil Red]

I read this from LOTH today, for St. Anthony Zaccaria's memorial:

"[i]We are fools for Christ's sake:[/i] our holy guide and most revered patron was speaking about himself and the rest of the apostles, and about the other people who profess the Christian and apostolic way of life. But there is no reason, dear brothers, that we should be surprised or afraid; for [i]the disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master[/i]. We should love and feel compassion for those who oppose us, rather than abhor and despise them, since they harm themselves and do us good, and adorn us with crowns of everlasting glory while they incite God's anger against themselves. And even more than this, we should pray for them and not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by goodness. We should heap good works [i]like red-hot coals[/i] of burning love [i]upon their heads[/i], as our Apostle urges us to do, so that when they become aware of our tolerance and gentleness they may undergo a change of heart and be prompted to turn in love to God."

[MissyP89]

Our weapons are compassion, goodness, prayer and charity, then. Hm.

So essentially, we're to show others so much love and tolerance that they can't stand it?