Agape (love)
The Greeks have four different terms to define love, one for each type of love:
- eros 鈥 the love felt when you're in love with someone
- philia 鈥 the love felt towards close friends
- storge 鈥 a natural love or fondness felt between family members
- agape 鈥 unconditionalWith no conditions; absolute., unwavering love
In the scriptures, the love that Jesus talks about and refers to is agape love. The term agape refers to unconditional love. For Christians this is the highest type of love, and it is the love that Jesus has for humans. Agape involves feeling so much love for someone that you put them before yourself.
The most famous teaching of Christ on this is from the Last Supper in John鈥檚 Gospel. Jesus gives his final commandmentA law or instruction believed to have been given by God. to his apostles to love one another.
And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.
Jesus is commanding his apostles to love everyone, just as he has done. To be a follower of Christ means to show unconditional love to all, including those who may be considered as enemies.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Jesus used the Parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of loving those who may not be our friends.
You have heard that it was said, 鈥楲ove your friends, hate your enemies.鈥 But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Jesus taught his followers to:
Love your neighbour as yourself.
Jesus was asked to confirm what he meant by the word 鈥榥eighbour鈥. This is when he told the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), to explain that people should love everyone, including their enemies. It is easy to love friends and family, but it is much more difficult to love those who you may not get along with, or even those who may harm or hurt you. To show love to your enemies is to truly love as Christ did.
Parable of the Good Samaritan
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus uses the example of the Jew and the Samaritan, who would not ordinarily have been friendly towards each other. However, out of all those who could have helped the Jew, only the Samaritan did. Jesus tells of a man who was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by robbers on the way. He was badly beaten and left for dead.
The first person to pass the injured man was a priest, who crossed the road and continued walking.
The second person to pass the injured man was a Levite, a priest鈥檚 assistant. He also crossed the road and continued walking without helping the man.
The third person to come by was a Samaritan, a person from Samaria. The Samaritans were hated by the Jews. When the Samaritan saw the man, he took pity on him. He bandaged him and cleaned his wounds. He then put him on the back of his donkey and took him to an innkeeper, whom he paid to look after him.
The parable ends with Jesus giving a commandment to go out and do the same as the Samaritan had done. This teaching of loving one鈥檚 enemies is also reflected in Matthew's Gospel.