Loving Neighbors Near And Far: A 5-Day PlanSample

So far in our study, we’ve learned how much our heavenly Father loves us and that he wants us to share that love with others. Who have you had the chance to love in the past couple of days?

We get lots of opportunities to love our family and friends—after all, we see them every day. Often, the people closest to us—the ones we live and go to school and church with—are a lot like us. We have the same interests, speak the same language, and know the same inside jokes. Many times they dress like us and even look like us. 

It’s pretty easy to love people who are like us. Sure, our parents and siblings may do things that drive us crazy, and sometimes our friends hurt our feelings, but we understand them and feel comfortable with them. We know how to speak and act around them.

In today’s verses, Jesus tells us that he wants us to show love to people who might be very different from us. People who come from places we’ve never been to, or maybe never even heard of. People who are going through things we can hardly even imagine.

Sometimes it’s hard for us to love people who are different from us because we feel uncomfortable or afraid. We don’t know what to say to them (especially if they speak a different language from us!). We don’t know if they will understand us or like us, but Jesus says that when we do something loving for someone who is different or who is going through something so bad it scares us, it’s like we’re doing it for him. And don’t forget that he is always with us, giving us his overflowing love.

Talk together: Do we know (or know of) any of “the least of [Jesus’] brothers and sisters”? What are some ways that we can show them love in the next days or weeks?