What is this "love" that we talk about so glibly?

John 13:34-35 King James Version (KJV)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Some people seem not to know the command, and others obviously have no idea what "love" is. Of course the bible explains, but few people go looking for it.

Luke 10:25-37 King James Version (KJV)
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

This is not a passage that is quoted very often, but it is the definition of love. Love is when you are aware of a need and you take care of it.
 
Notice that the love mentioned in John 13:34 is a NEW commandment specificly regarding our showing love among believers.

There was always an expectation be God that His people would love their neighbors, but this is an extra requirement that is to be an outward sign to those around us.

It recognizes that the communtiy around us will judge the qaulity of our faith by how we act as loving family to other Christians. They (believers and unbelievers) should see His love through our love of other Christians.
 
Saul Mine

We are told that "God is love"...
So could we not look at like this and say that, (pure, true, complete, real), love... is a manifestation of God?


7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God;
for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. [1 John 4:7-13 KJV]

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the
washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [Titus 3:4-6 KJV]

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare [it]: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. [John 17:20-26 KJV]


 
John 13:34-35 King James Version (KJV)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Some people seem not to know the command, and others obviously have no idea what "love" is. Of course the bible explains, but few people go looking for it.

Luke 10:25-37 King James Version (KJV)
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

This is not a passage that is quoted very often, but it is the definition of love. Love is when you are aware of a need and you take care of it.

Good point! is it new? Hardly.

Loving one another is part of humanity as well as the Jewish tradition, and was present in the Greco-Roman world around them, and is seen in other religious traditions as well.

Th key IMO is that loving those with whom we agree or are partial to is the easy part. Loving the rest of the folks we come in contact with is a much harder proposition.

But this will not any real news to those who go to church or sit next to you in Bible Study. It is a part of the human condition to love and to want to be loved. Reality is … it’s easier to love those who are more loving and lovable than those who are not!!!!!

It goes back to the thought of...….."it is not so much WHAT you say as it is HOW you say it".
 
I think it does matters what you say.
Love is kind and love is patient. Love keeps no record of wrong. You can read an entire chapter on love in 1 coronthians 13 as its described there.
Also James says do we bless and curse with the same mouth? No we just need to bless. Even if they are your enemy. Especially if they are your enemy. This is what Jesus did.

The good samaritan had compassion on the fallen jew. This is significant because samaritans and jews traditionally didnt get along, or even speak to each other! Yet in this parable the fallen jews own jewish brothers totally ignored him! Just walked straight past. But the samaritan stopped and had compassion.

This reminds me of how God loves us, while we were yet sinners. We hated him, ignored him and were rebellious yet God was still good to us, and His kindness led us to repentence.
 
Christian love is based on who we serve and His love, not on the loveability of the one being loved. The world does not understand this.

I agree completely with you brother. I was not referring to what our capacity to love stems from but rather the actual fact of reality in this life we live.
 
When adam and eve sinned in the garden, God didnt ignore them he actually had compassion and clothed them after they realised they were naked. They still had to suffer the consequences of their sin, but God actually had kindess and clothed them. He didnt have to do this. He could have sent them out naked save for their fig leaves. No he made coats of skins for them. What a loving God we have.

The reality for us, if our children are naughty do we punish them and send them out naked? Some parents are very much like this, you do wrong, thats it, you pay. No mercy. What God does is allow their children make their own choices yet he still has mercy on them, even if they make the wrong choices. Why because He loves. Its His nature.
 
When adam and eve sinned in the garden, God didnt ignore them he actually had compassion and clothed them after they realised they were naked. They still had to suffer the consequences of their sin, but God actually had kindess and clothed them. He didnt have to do this. He could have sent them out naked save for their fig leaves. No he made coats of skins for them. What a loving God we have.

The reality for us, if our children are naughty do we punish them and send them out naked? Some parents are very much like this, you do wrong, thats it, you pay. No mercy. What God does is allow their children make their own choices yet he still has mercy on them, even if they make the wrong choices. Why because He loves. Its His nature.

That is a wonderful way to express it!
 
To love is to value everyone and think of everyone as the same, this is what God himself does. It says there is no partiality with God, and that he is no respecter of persons.
 
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