Loving the Unlovable: Embracing Jesus' Teachings on Unconditional Love

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 Loving the Unlovable: Embracing Jesus' Teachings on Unconditional Love

(Danny Bawibikthawng)

January 23, 2025

At the heart of Jesus' teachings lies a profound and counterintuitive principle: loving the unlovable without judgment. This radical concept challenges our natural inclination to judge, criticize, and condemn those who may seem unworthy of love.

 

As Jesus himself said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28). This teaching is echoed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, which reminds us that "love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

 

As I reflect on my own life, I'm reminded that I'm not always lovable. In fact, I've done things that might make others question my character. And yet, despite my flaws and shortcomings, God loves me unconditionally. This realization has taught me to be careful when I'm tempted to judge or criticize others. When I examine my own 'closet,' I'm reminded that I'm not in a position to judge others. Instead, I'm called to love and extend mercy, just as God has loved and mercied me.

 

This perspective helps me approach others with humility and respect, even when I disagree with them or have concerns. It reminds me that we're all flawed and in need of God's love and forgiveness.

 

I'd like to share a personal experience that drove this point home for me. As a father of four, I've had my fair share of teaching and guiding my children. One particular incident stands out in my mind. My 9-year-old daughter was working on a science project, and I was helping her. However, I found myself blaming her for mistakes and things she didn't know. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Dad, can you help me without judging me? Can you show me love and support without blaming me?" Her words cut deep, and I realized that I had a choice to make. I could continue to judge and criticize, or I could choose to love and support unconditionally.

 

This experience taught me that love and help are invaluable, but they become toxic when mixed with judgment and blame. As Mother Teresa once said, "Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." Her selfless example inspires us to love without condition, just as Jesus loves us.

 

In a world that often celebrates judgment, criticism, and division, Jesus' teachings offer a transformative alternative. Instead of retaliating with anger and hatred, we are called to respond with love, compassion, and understanding. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." May we choose a different path, one that is guided by love, compassion, and understanding.

 

As the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 2:1-4, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." May we take these words to heart and strive to love without judgment.

 

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." May we choose to be bearers of light and love, rather than judgment and hate.

 

May we remember that loving the unlovable without judgment is not a feeling, but a choice – a choice that requires courage, humility, and a deep trust in God's love and sovereignty. May we choose to love without condition, and in doing so, may we experience the transformative power of God's love in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.

 

May we choose to love without condition, embracing the transformative power of Judgment-Free Love, which frees us to love others as God loves us unconditionally, mercifully, and without apology.

 

Biliography

Mother Teresa. The Love of Christ: Spiritual Counsels. New York: Harper & Row, 1982.

Gandhi, Mahatma. An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Boston: 

Beacon Press, 1993.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love. New York: Harper & Row, 1963.

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