Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - What Real Love Actually Looks Like | The Gospels | Luke 6:27–49

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

How do you love people who are hard to love? Why do we so often choose love that benefits us instead of love that costs us? What does real love actually look like? In today’s episode, Tanya shares how Jesus’s call to love enemies in Luke 6 reveals the initiating, sacrificial love of God that transforms how we love others. Read the Bible with us in 2026! This year, we’re exploring the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passage: Luke 6:27–49

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Tanya Wilmuth. My friend serves dinner once a month at a church in our city that opens its doors every single night to feed anyone who needs a warm meal. And last week, she told me that one of the people she's gotten to know they looked really sad, just really down, like something was wrong. She asked him if he was okay, and he told her that his friend had actually just died the night before. He didn't just tell her that, though. He told her that his friend had had a drug addiction,

and she would sometimes call him for a ride, needing a place to sleep it off. She would also walk to the local Waffle House when she was hungry because she knew that he would be there every night at 9 p.m. And he would have a cup of coffee before his shift. That's where he would buy her waffles and coffee. He was telling all of this because he missed her. When I heard the story, I was overwhelmed,

with a feeling. A question, really. Did this woman know that she was loved? Was she aware that someone did these things, not out of obligation, but out of love? What else could it be? Jesus talks about love in Luke 6 when he teaches his disciples what real love looks like. I just want you to hear the scripture, so I'm going to read it to you. It says, if you love those who love you, what credit is that to even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 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 because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked be merciful just as your father is merciful in that passage jesus says that loving people who love us back is actually the easiest form of love if someone treats us well if someone is kind to us if someone gives to us and is very natural for us to return that love. Jesus even says that this kind of love does not set his followers apart, because in his words, even sinners do that. In other words, reciprocal love is the most ordinary form of love there is. Almost anyone can do it.

But then Jesus pushes his listeners further. He calls them to something much more difficult and much more beautiful. Instead of simply loving the people who are easy to love, He tells them to love their enemies, to do good to people who may never return the favor, and to lend without expecting anything back. That kind of love costs something. It requires our patience, it requires mercy, and it requires a willingness to give, even when there's nothing to gain.

When you hear Jesus describe that kind of love, it naturally raises a question. Who in your life is difficult to love? Most of us can quickly think of someone. It might be someone who has hurt us, someone who constantly disappoints us, or someone who takes more than they give. It could be someone who simply seems ungrateful for the care they receive. Those are the kinds of people Jesus has in mind here. The reason he calls us to love this way is not because those people deserve it. In fact, the passage says something quite different.

Jesus reminds us that God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Do you know who he's talking about there? He's actually talking about us. And then he says, be merciful, even as your father is merciful. Again, merciful toward us. In other words, the pattern for our lives is not other people. The pattern for our love is God himself. God shows kindness and mercy even to people who have done nothing to earn it.

And again, that's us. And if we want to understand just how deep his love goes, we can look at Romans chapter 5, where Paul describes the love of God in very clear terms. He says, while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. Paul then makes an observation about us. He says, it's very rare for someone. to die even for a righteous person. Perhaps he says for a truly good person, someone might dare to sacrifice their life. If someone we admire deeply or someone we love dearly were in danger,

we might imagine risking everything for them. But God's love is different. Paul continues by saying God chose his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus did not wait until we became lovable or until we could give something back in return. He didn't wait until we proved ourselves worthy. He didn't look at us and say, once they clean themselves up, or once they become grateful, or once they become faithful,

then I will give myself for them. Instead, Christ died for us when we were weak, when we were broken, and when we were still living rebellion against God. This is what makes the love of God so astonishing. It's not reactive. It's creation love. It's initiating love.

It's love who moves to, towards people who cannot repay it. Because of that sacrifice, Paul says something extraordinary happens. Those who trust in Christ are now justified by his blood, which means God no longer defines us by our failures. Instead, he sees us through what Jesus has done for us. We're rescued from the judgment we deserved because Christ gave himself for us. When we see that clearly, it reshapes our understanding of love.

Love, according to God, isn't simply a warm feeling toward people who treat us well. Love is a willing sacrifice for the good of another person, even when that person hasn't done anything to deserve it and probably won't ever be able to repay it. Now, the truth as I think about this in my own life, in a very personal way, is this. Some examples, like in my marriage, I realize there are times I thought that I was loving Eric, but what I was really loving was the way that he helped me love myself, the way he made me feel, the things he did for me. I loved having someone who encouraged me and someone who supported me, someone who made it easier for me to like myself. What I was calling love was often just

appreciation for the benefits I was receiving. If we're honest, we do this in many of our relationships. We may not think about it, but somewhere in our hearts, we're constantly asking questions like, is this person making it easy for me to feel good right now? Or is this person give me something that benefits me? When the answer is yes, love comes easily. When the answer is no, love can be much harder. But Jesus says there's a different way to live. He invites us into a self-forgetting kind of love that doesn't revolve around self. It's a love that gives even when there's no one there to give us a big pat on the back. And it's a love that serves even when there's no recognition. It's a love that continues to care when there's very little offered in return. Of course,

that's only possible because it begins with God. Maybe that brings us back to the question that started this whole conversation. Did that woman know she was loved? Did she know someone was waiting for her at 9 p.m.? That someone would answer the phone, that someone would buy her waffles and coffee because he cared. I hope she did. Because sometimes the smallest acts are glimpses of the kind of love God shows in the world every day. It's a love that gives. It's a love that is patient and kind. It's a love that does not look for people who deserve it. That's the kind of love Jesus has shown us. And because he's loved us that way, we're free to love those around us just like he does. So maybe the better question for today is,

How can we show that kind of love this week? Who in your life needs to see mercy? Who needs kindness instead of your indifference? Who needs a reminder that someone cares about them? When we love this way, people begin to see something extraordinary. They begin to see a reflection of the love of Christ. Jesus, you have shown us what true love looks like. Because you loved us while we were still sinners,

and you gave your life so we could live. with God forever. We confess that loving others can be hard and loving people the way you do doesn't come naturally. Our hearts often want love that benefits instead of love that sacrifices. Please remind us again and again of the mercy you've shown us. Help us have willing hearts to love people without expecting anything in return. Amen.