What If We Actually Loved Like Jesus?

Seeing the Beauty in Others Beyond the World’s Labels

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”— John 13:34 (RSVCE)

We live in a world that loves to label. Popular, awkward, broken, successful, lazy, sinner, saint. Sometimes we’re quick to assign value based on what someone looks like, how they talk, where they’re from, or what they’ve done. But that’s not how Jesus sees people—and it’s not how we’re called to see them either.

Jesus never viewed people the way our world does. He saw a child of God. He saw the soul. When we truly love like Jesus, we stop seeing people as the world categorizes them—and start seeing the divine imprint on every human heart.

Every Human Is Made in the Image of God

“God created man in His own image... male and female He created them.”— Genesis 1:27

The Catholic Church teaches that every person is made in the Imago Dei—the image of God. This means no one is “less than.” No one is disposable. Every human being, no matter how wounded, confused, or far from grace, carries within them a sacred dignity.

And if that’s true (it is), then love isn’t just something we feel—it’s something we owe.

Jesus Loved the Broken. So Should We.

Loving Like Jesus: Close, Messy, and Real

When we look at the life of Jesus in the Gospels, one thing becomes beautifully clear—He didn’t love from a distance. He didn’t stand back and wait for people to clean themselves up or get it all together. He stepped into the mess with them.

Jesus touched the lepers when no one else would. He sat down and shared meals with the outcasts of society—the tax collectors, the sinners, the ones everyone else avoided. He stood up for the woman caught in adultery, not with harsh judgment, but with quiet, powerful grace. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, grieving with those who were hurting.

His love was always personal. Always close. Always unconditional.

He didn’t say, “Change first, then I’ll love you.”He said, “Let Me love you—and that love will change everything.”

Sometimes, we’re tempted to hold back—to avoid people who feel “too broken,” “too different,” or “too far gone.” But Jesus never avoided anyone. If anything, He moved toward them with compassion. Holiness isn’t about staying clean by keeping our distance. It’s about stepping into love, even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s messy.

Jesus shows us that loving others means sitting with them in their pain, standing up for them in their shame, and walking with them even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s not weakness—it’s the heart of the Gospel.

So may we love like He did. Not from afar, but up close.Not only when it’s easy, but especially when it’s not. Because that’s where transformation begins—with love.

We don’t have to be perfect—just present, kind, and willing to love like He does.