The Postmodern church needs to be aware of what Jesus meant when he said "Love Your Neighbour As I Loved You." Not just “as yourself”… but like the Cross did it.
Welcome all as we view this quote in a way that Scripture meets Spirit, and truths buried in time are unearthed to confront the modern Church.
Let’s begin with a question:
Are you still loving people the Levitical way—measured, safe, and self-referenced?
Or have you entered the Upper Room standard—the divine realm of “As I have loved you”?
Because friend, there’s a chasm between both.
And only the Cross can bridge it.
From Leviticus to the Cross: A Journey of Love Evolving
In Leviticus 19:18, God laid a moral foundation:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
It was pure. Revolutionary for its time.
But still human-sized. Measured. Bound by our capacity to love ourselves.
Now, pause and ask:
What happens when someone doesn’t even love themselves rightly?
How then can they love others adequately?
This love was still dependent on human moods, feelings, and fairness.
But then, centuries later, Jesus showed up with a thunderclap:
“A new command I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you.”
— John 13:34
A new command, not a revised one.
He wasn't updating Moses—He was redefining love itself.
This isn’t “do for others what you would do for yourself.”
This is: “Do for them what I did for you—even when you had nothing to give back.”
So… How Exactly Did Jesus Love?
Let’s hold up a mirror:
✔️ He loved us before we could say sorry.
✔️ He touched lepers, not just leaders.
✔️ He forgave from the Cross—while blood and betrayal still dripped from His wounds.
✔️ He chose to die, not because He felt it, but because He willed it.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
— John 15:13
This love doesn’t wait for a reason.
It becomes the reason.
A Pig in a Pit… and a Voice from Heaven
Permit me a strange but holy story.
Years ago, I kept pigs.
One day, a pregnant sow broke loose and wandered toward an open, concrete pond. I shouted. She didn’t stop. She fell right in.
Frustrated, I tried everything—ropes, wood, manpower.
I groaned. I sweated. I cursed under my breath:
“Foolish pig! See all the trouble you’ve caused!”
Then the Holy Spirit whispered to my spirit:
“This is what mankind did. Deaf. Fallen. Helpless. Drowning.
But I didn’t stand above and curse them.
I stepped into the pit to save them.”
I froze. I was wrecked.
You see—I couldn't become a pig to save her.
But Jesus became a man to save me.
He left eternity…
Put on skin…
Spoke our language…
Carried our filth…
And descended into our darkness.
Would you do the same?
“Fake It to Get More”: Love or Manipulation?
After my wife gave birth, she came home radiant and strong.
But then she told me:
“The women at the hospital advised me: pretend you're weak.
He’ll bring you goodies. He'll do all the chores.”
We laughed. But the lesson was chilling.
From childhood, we fake weakness for gain:
Crying for treats.
Feigning sickness to skip school.
Pretending helplessness to be waited on.
It’s not just manipulation—it’s distorted love.
It proves that we’re wired to take before we give.
But Jesus reversed the order:
He gave first.
He died first.
He loved first.
What Does Loving Like Jesus Look Like Now?
Not everyone is lovable.
Not every offense is forgettable.
Not every situation feels fair.
Yet Jesus says: “Do it anyway.”
Are you still waiting for someone to earn your forgiveness?
Are you withholding kindness until it feels good?
Then you’re loving like Leviticus—not like Jesus.
He calls us to:
Love sacrificially
Forgive recklessly
Serve undeservedly
Heal wounds we didn’t cause
Wash feet stained with betrayal
Hidden Mystery: Why Did Jesus Raise the Bar?
Because self-love has limits.
But divine love—agape—transforms the lover and the loved.
Levitical love keeps the law.
Calvary love births a new life.
“By this shall all men know you are My disciples—if you love one another.”
— John 13:35
Your evangelism isn’t your preaching.
It’s your cross-bearing love.
Final Questions To Uncover Your Heart
Are you more comfortable being loved than loving others?
Would you help someone who hurt you if God asked you to?
Can you love someone who cannot repay you—in money or loyalty?
Do you give your best to others, or your leftovers?
If Jesus could stoop from glory to Galilee, from throne to thorns,
Can you stoop from ego to empathy… from hurt to healing?
Drop a comment—what challenged you most in this, Share Your Heart Below, “I choose to love like Jesus loved me.”
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