The stories about Jesus' last commandment: Love one another in action
Eugene Burnard - The Disciples Peter and John running to the sepulchre on the morning of the Resurrection/źródło:http://www.eugene-burnand.com
Jesus was one of the greatest teachers. He used parables and stories to teach us about the Love of God. But his greatest method was teaching by example.
He taught about kindness many, many times. Here are some stories about his love and kindness in action:
Eating with a sinner
"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was. But because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:1-10
Would we like to dine with a known sinner? Most of us would have hesitated, while others would just say “no.”
Zacchaeus in the eyes of the Jews was almost a criminal. In Jesus’ time, tax collectors would often abuse their powers to fill their pockets with the people’s hard-earned money.
Yet, Jesus never hesitated to dine with him. He didn’t care if others will see him associating with a sinner. Zacchaeus was somebody in need.
Healing the leper
"When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ” Matthew 8:1-3
Lepers were always seen as “unclean” and “untouchable”. Jesus didn’t see the man as a leper but a human being who was sick and needed his help. Jesus wanted to teach that kindness should go beyond social stereotypes. It's important to see where they’re coming from and understand their circumstances.
Preaching to the gentiles
Now he 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.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:4-14
Xenophobia was and still is one of the biggest problem of the world.
By preaching to a Samaritan woman, Jesus wanted to show that kindness is universal. We shouldn’t only be kind to the chosen. Everybody deserves compassion regardless of their skin color, nationality or religious beliefs.
In defence of a woman caught in adultery
"Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
John 8, 1-7
Have you ever wondered what He was writing there? Whatever was it - it had a power of Love.
All in all, it was difficult to keep pace with Him. Below the painting showing the disciples Peter and John hurrying to his empty tomb on the third day after the crucifixion.
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