The Working Clothes of Love (3)

We continue to examine Paul’s working definition of love as revealed to him by the Spirit of God and so come to a phrase that should genuinely give us pause. Perhaps, it is because this phrase strikes remarkably close to home. He writes that love “seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Genuine love does not seek its own, i.e. love is disinterested. If someone is disinterested, that person is not influenced by considerations of personal advantage. Such a one does not ask “What is in it for me?”. That kind of question is obviously self-serving, and we may quickly deny such selfish behavior. But consider this character portrait of love in every one of its facets. For example, how readily do we give up our “free time” to visit a sick friend, run an errand for a loved one, or help a neighbor in one of his home projects? Each of us has our own daily agenda, which not only disallows impromptu alterations, but actively resists them. Frankly, having an agenda at all works against being disinterested. An agenda is an intentional planned use of time that necessarily competes with other interests.

Christ gave us a truly clear picture of this aspect of love in what is known as the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). A rich, young ruler had approached the Lord and asked him, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” In the exchange that followed, the command from the Old Testament law to “love thy neighbor as thyself” became a sticking point to the young ruler. The Bible says that “he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, and who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). It is at this point that Christ offered his parable of the good Samaritan.

He begins by telling that “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” (Luke 10:30). Sometime after this a priest came by and when he saw him (the wounded man), “passed by on the other side.” After this a Levite likewise passing by “looked on him, and passed by on the other side.” Plainly, helping this robbed and wounded man was clearly not on either of their agendas.

At this point the Samaritan arrives on the scene and “when he saw him, he had compassion on him. 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. 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” (Luke 10:33-35).

Surely, the Samaritan had a different agenda that reflected his own interests. Nonetheless, the needs of this poor man pressed their claims upon his heart, and he was moved to care for him. The Samaritan, unlike the priest and Levite, set aside his own personal interests to exercise compassion upon this traveler. We would say that he was disinterested or, using the language of Paul, he did not seek his own. Could that be said of us? Would others describe us that way?

Randy Livingston serves as a chaplain for a local police department. He writes devotionals for his ministry which also appear at his blog, From the Chaplain. We republish this post by permission.