Love is a hard thing, because it makes us vulnerable. When you show love and compassion, you open yourself up to be hurt or maybe killed.
Jesus teaches to not only love our neighbors, but to love our enemies. That's not the American way of life and it's not how humanity functions. No, we're suppose to hate our enemies, and persecute those who attempt to persecute us. But this is not what Jesus teaches. His teachings are different and more profound.
"Love for Enemies
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"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
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But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
That is a hard teaching for me to follow, because I struggle with anger. So you mean that when a person yells at me, curses at me, or spits at me, I have to love that person? Or turn the other cheek? Well according to Jesus, yes I do!
"An Eye for an Eye
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"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
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But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
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And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41
If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."
This is another hard teaching that I must apply to my daily life. If the whole world just followed these two teachings, it would be an entirely different place. But we don't, so this teaching challenges us to look at ourselves and change our character. If some wants to strike, or strike me, I must turn the other cheek. Because of this teaching, Martin Luther King , Jr made a huge impact in the world. And if it were not for his stance on non-violence, I don't think racial segregation and racial discrimination would have ended as quickly. Of course, there's still racism in the world, but Martin Luther King Jr, is one of the many reasons to why the Jim Crow Laws ceased to exist.
In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr, was the youngest man to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other "non-violent" means. And that was because of Jesus's teachings. Martin not only listened to the word, he applied it to his life. Ghandi did the same thing, and he had an entirely different faith from my own.
"James 1:22 (New International Version)
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Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
Many of Jesus's accomplishments were unheard of during his time. He healed people by touching them; he healed the sick, the blind, the deaf, and people with leprosy.
Here are some compelling, and highly impacting scriptures that show Jesus's character and how much he truly loves us!
"Mark 1:40-42
A Man With Leprosy
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A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."
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Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured."
"Mark 3:1-5
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Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2
Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
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Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
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Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
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He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored."
"Mark 7:31-37
The Healing of a Deaf and Mute Man
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Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
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There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
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After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.
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He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ).
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At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
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Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
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People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
"Mark 8:22-26
The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida
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They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
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He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
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He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
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Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
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Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
"Luke 7:36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
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Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.
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When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
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and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
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When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
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Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
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"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty.
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Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
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Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
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Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
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You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
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You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
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Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
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Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
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The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
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Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
"Luke 8:43-48
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.
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And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.
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She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
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"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
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But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
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Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.
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Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
"John 13:1-10
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
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It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
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The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.
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Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
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so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
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After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
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He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
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Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
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"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
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"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
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Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."
That is extraordinary. Because Jesus was not only the Son of God, but God in the flesh. Which means that God himself came down to Earth to love us, and to serve us. He came down and washed his disciples feet. That is unheard of. He is the creator of all things, he is the king of kings. And yet, he shows his love for us, by healing us, curing our diseases, protecting us, and washing our feet. Of course I ask, why? Why would a being so powerful and so supernatural do this for a flawed person like me? He did it because he loved us, and calls upon us to do the same for one another.
Here's one last scripture, which is one of the best, and most important scriptures in the Bible.
"1 Corinthians 13:4-8
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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
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Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
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It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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Love never fails."
Most Rabbi's(if any) have never done this. To this day, they don't follow the actions of Jesus.
One of the sisters at my Church told me about the experiences she had when she visited Israel 5 years ago.
She was sitting with probably 5 or 6 other Rabbi's, and she was having a good conversation with one of them. When she had to go, she tried to shake his hand, and he said "no." She asked him why, he said, "I'm cool, but I'm not that cool." At first she thought he didn't want to shake her hand, because of her ethnicity or something she couldn't imagine. Later, she realized it was because she was a woman.
Jesus was ahead of his time, his teachings demonstrate how he showed his love towards humanity.
When I become a disciple, I must imitate Jesus Christ. I must show love towards the people who hate me, want to persecute me and disrespect me.
I must always show love and compassion to people who need it because that's what Jesus did.
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