Archive for April 2026
As we continue exploring what it means to become a people of love, we’re not just asking whether Jesus loved—but how He loved. His love is rich and multifaceted, and the more we return to the Gospel stories, the more we see new layers. This is a lifelong journey. Like learning a skill, we grow step by step, trusting that over time , through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will love more and more like Jesus.
One powerful expression of Jesus’ love can be described as “gentle intrusions.” While Jesus didn’t intrude into every situation, when He did, His approach was marked by such humility and care that what could have felt uncomfortable instead became life-giving.
We see this in the story of Zacchaeus. Hidden up a tree, he wanted to observe Jesus without being noticed. Yet Jesus called him down—not with condemnation, but with invitation. By choosing to stay at his home, Jesus brought dignity, belonging, and restoration into Zacchaeus’ life.
We see it again in the woman who touched Jesus’ garment in a crowd. She longed to remain unseen, hoping only for quiet healing. But Jesus stopped, turned, and gently drew her out—not to expose her, but to affirm her faith and ensure she knew she was truly seen and valued.
Perhaps most beautifully, we see this in Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Crossing social and cultural boundaries, Jesus initiated a conversation that was both vulnerable and intentional. Step by step, He gently moved deeper—through her defenses, her pain, and her distractions—until she encountered truth, grace, and ultimately transformation. His intrusion into her life was not forceful, but patient, personal, and filled with love.
What Does This Mean for Us?
If we want to love like Jesus, we must learn to recognize when the Holy Spirit is prompting us to step into someone’s life. Not every moment calls for an intrusion—but some do. These moments may begin with a simple question, a noticing, or a willingness to engage.
Gentle intrusions are rarely instant. They require patience, trust, and a willingness to walk alongside others over time. They may not always be welcomed at first, and people may deflect or resist. But like Jesus, we are called to remain gracious, attentive, and led by the Spirit—trusting that love, expressed faithfully, can open hearts.
Ultimately, God invites us to know people’s stories—not out of curiosity, but so that we can enter them with compassion. When we do, even the smallest, Spirit-led intrusion can become a doorway for healing, restoration, and transformation.
In a world marked by conflict, anxiety, loneliness, and constant striving, an honest question confronts us: does the story of the resurrection make any real difference in our lives today?
For many, the answer feels like “not really.” If the resurrection is seen as a distant, uncertain event from the past, it can seem irrelevant to the very real challenges we face now. Instead, we often live within a cultural story that tells us the answers lie in working harder, looking inward, and defining our own truth. Freedom, self-expression, and independence become our guiding values. But we must pause and ask: how is that story working for us?
With rising anxiety, depression, and what has been described as a “pandemic of loneliness,” it’s worth considering that something isn’t quite right. Perhaps the story we’ve been living in isn’t delivering the hope it promises.
The resurrection invites us into a different story—not an isolated miracle, but the climax of a much bigger narrative. A story that begins with a loving God who created humanity for relationship, a relationship that was broken when people chose independence over trust.
Yet God did not abandon that story; He relentlessly pursued the restoration of a relationship with the people he loved. However, he knew that real loving relationships have two sides. People must recognize our determination to run life on our own has produced ways of life that continue to cause pain and sorrow. We must admit we have been wrong and ask for forgiveness.
Sadly, for thousands of years, people stubbornly refused to recognize this truth. So finally God sent His son Jesus. He stepped into human history to show us a new way of living—one marked not by self-centered striving, but by love, compassion, and restored relationships. Jesus didn’t just teach this way of life; He embodied it. And through His death and resurrection, He made it possible.
After the resurrection, Jesus’ followers slowly began to understand this new story. And when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, everything changed. But what truly captured attention wasn’t just the dramatic moment—it was what came after. A new kind of community emerged. Not driven by power or status, but by deep love and shared life. People cared for one another, lived generously, and what emerged was something that looked more like a family than an institution. As Tyler Staton observes, it wasn’t the spectacle of Pentecost that impacted the world most—it was the community that remained.
The real question is not just whether the resurrection happened, but whether we are willing to consider that:
- We may be living in the wrong story
- There might be a better one available
- And that this new story is meant to be lived, not just believed
The invitation is simple: be curious. Look for communities that are genuinely trying to live this way—loving one another and those around them—and see what happens. Because real change doesn’t happen all at once. It begins slowly, as people choose to step into a different story together.
The resurrection matters—not just as a past event, but as a present invitation. An invitation to move from isolation to community, from striving to grace, from confusion to hope. And perhaps, as we begin to live in that story together, we’ll discover that it changes more than we ever expected.
My Father’s Business – A Life Directed by Love
As we continue learning what it means to love like Jesus—to see, feel, speak, and even remain silent like Him—we quickly discover how difficult that calling really is. Yet the life of Jesus reminds us of something crucial: He lived fully as a human being, just as we do. His love wasn’t effortless because He was God; it was intentional, rooted in something deeper.
One of the clearest glimpses into that “something deeper” comes from a single story in His childhood. At just twelve years old, when His parents found Him in the temple (Luke 2:46) after three days of searching, Jesus responded, (Luke 2:49)“Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?” or “I must be in my Father’s house,” depending on your translation. This moment reveals a defining pattern for His entire life. His priority was always to be in His Father’s presence, listening for His Father’s direction.
This pattern continues throughout His ministry. Whether at the wedding in Cana, where He quietly turned water into wine, or when His brothers pressured Him to seek public attention, Jesus consistently responded with an awareness that His timing and actions were not His own. He lived according to His Father’s will, not the expectations of others. His repeated phrase, “My time has not yet come,” shows a deep dependence on God’s timing and guidance.
So how did Jesus love with such depth, wisdom, and compassion?
He didn’t do it alone.
Jesus lived in constant relationship with the Father, guided by the Spirit. He only did what He saw the Father doing and followed where the Father led. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see that His ultimate act of love—choosing the cross—came through surrendering His own will to the Father’s.
This is the key for us.
We are not called to love like Jesus through our own strength. Like Him, we are invited to live lives rooted in God’s presence, listening for His voice, and relying on the Holy Spirit for both the what and the how of love.
To be “about the Father’s business” is not about striving harder—it’s about staying closer.
And as we do, we will find that the same love that shaped Jesus’ life begins to shape ours too.
From the Zebra Bag 