Recently, some brothers and sisters and I studied Luke 10:25-37 together. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus showed us what real love is. Jesus taught us that we should not only understand what love is, but we should also live out love in our everyday life. Just like the challenge that faced the church at Ephesus in Revelation, we must watch out against our love gradually cooling off amid busyness and difficulties.

       In the story in Luke 10, an expert in the law asked Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied by asking him what was written in the Law. The expert replied: love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. This teaching was familiar to the Jews. The experts in the law knew it. The priests and the Levites certainly knew it, too. Then, how come they did nothing to help the dying? One possibility is that they were worried that the victim, who was seriously injured, would die in the rescue process, making them “unclean” by touching a human corpse (Numbers 19:11-13). Such “uncleanliness” would not only affect their daily life, but also their service in religious rituals. Such worries caused them to choose to act against the teaching of “loving your neighbor as yourself.”

       Likewise, believers today know very well that loving our neighbor as ourselves is the LORD’s command for us. We are willing to relate to others with love, and we probably will not stay away when someone is dying. But the modern-day environment is complicated, and inter-personal relationships are not simple. Sometimes when we love, we may not get the result we anticipate. And everyday life is so busy. Our concerns are more tied up with the pressing problems in front of us – work, family, church ministry, etc. We do not readily notice what our neighbors need. As time goes by, just like the church in Ephesus, we will lose the love that we had at first. Losing love means that our spiritual life becomes a routine and is depleted of real enthusiasm and care. Jesus exhorted believers to “repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:5). This is a reminder for every believer!

        I am grateful to see that many brothers and sisters are keen to ignite their love of God and of man. There is a brother who knows an elderly man from his own hometown. The senior can only speak his home dialect and not much Cantonese. The brother knows that the senior is afraid of going to the hospital for checkups as it is very difficult for him to communicate with the doctor. The brother wishes to accompany the senior but that would mean he has to take leave and spend time for a senior he was not entirely familiar with. After some struggles, the brother decided to take leave to accompany the senior. That began his assistance in hospital visits for more than a year. The brother might not have deemed it much to help with checkups once in a few months, but it certainly means tremendous help to the senior.

        A love unlost is a cornerstone of our spiritual life. In this fast-paced, high-pressure society, we need to extol the value of love all the more. Let us exemplify the love of Christ not only in words but also by action. May we all retain the love that we first had. May we continue to grow on the path of faith and in doing so, be able to make an impact on those around us.