“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High…”
-Luke 6:35

Love, which includes compassion, is the highest Christian doctrine we have. More than anything else, what makes us truly Christians is our love.

Two times when Jesus says, “This sums up the law in the prophets,” he is referring to loving others. The first time is when he says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. This sums up all the law in the prophets.” The other is the golden rule. “Do unto others what you’d have them do unto you. This sums up the law in the prophets.”

What we learn from this is, if Jesus is truly our rabbi, if Christianity is about Jesus, then love – of God and neighbor – is the highest doctrine we can have. If love is the highest doctrine we can have, then I ask you, what is the greatest heresy? The greatest heresy is to live a life without compassion and love for your neighbor. Do the opposite.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to live a life full of compassion for others. Fill my heart with kindness when I need to love. Amen.

Reflection: When do you find it hardest to be compassionate?