What Love Costs

In Luke chapter 10, Jesus encounters, “an expert in the Law.”

In other words, this guy knows his scriptures.

He could be a pastor or an intellectual, a teacher or maybe a lawyer. Whatever the case, the point is that Jesus is talking to someone who knows what he’s talking about. In fact, he feels like he’s seen and heard it all and he wants to figure out if Jesus is really who he says he is.

So, he decides to put his intellect up against Jesus’ (which, by the way, don’t ever do that).

But he does it and here’s what he says, 

“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

I love this. Because Jesus could’ve just replied straight up with an answer but that would’ve given this man license to further poke at Jesus’ theology.

Instead, Jesus shares this story, making it painfully obvious who our neighbor is.

“This is how the world will know whom we follow…by how we love.”

Keep in mind, there’s most likely a crowd here listening to this dialogue and they too—would have heard the painful, convicting truth of what it really means to love our neighbor.

Jesus continues,

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

What does love cost? The Samaritan gets it.

Love costs olive oil and wine.

Love costs tending to wounds.

Love costs resources. 

Love costs sacrifice—he put the man on HIS OWN donkey! He didn’t have to do that!

Love costs time.

Love costs money.

Love costs whatever it takes.

LOVE COSTS EVERYTHING!

…And this Samaritan, this “less-than,” this “other,” understood that more than those who claimed to know God.

Church, how often are we guilty of the same thing?

How easy is it in our modern-day, western society to love in ways that are convenient? That doesn’t cost us anything? Or in a way that contains a massive cost/benefit payoff? 

Church, we have to be better. We must be better.

Jesus is calling all of us to humble ourselves to the position of “the other.” To sacrifice or give up our titles, our positions, our perceived power and influence and to leverage all of it for the good of those whom society actually deems as inferior, less than, other.

It’s a necessary but difficult challenge that Jesus invites us into. And if we’re going to be the light of the world, if we’re going to authentically apprentice under Jesus and follow his Way, it cannot be withheld.

“What does love cost? Love costs whatever it takes. Love costs everything.”

We must love in such a way that we’re willing to give up everything. We must be present enough to step into each and every situation with a willingness to serve. To give of ourselves for others.

This is how the world will know whom we follow…by how we love.

Jesus says as much in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—my talmidem—if you love one another.”

But, what does it cost?!

It costs…everything.

It cost Jesus the cross.

It cost Jesus his life.

And he asks us to do the same. 

To pick up our cross, to die to ourselves and to follow him.