Stories About Loving Others

1. The Man Who Wouldn’t Forgive (Matthew 18:21-35)

One day, Peter asked Jesus a question that many of us wonder about: “Lord, how many times should I forgive someone who wrongs me? Seven times?”

Jesus responded with a surprising answer, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

To illustrate His point, Jesus told the story of a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. One servant was brought before the king who owed an enormous amount—millions of dollars, enough to bankrupt the king. The servant begged for mercy, saying, “Please be patient with me, and I will pay back everything.”

The king, moved with compassion, forgave the servant’s entire debt. But as the servant left the king’s presence, he encountered a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller amount. Instead of showing mercy, he grabbed the man by the throat and demanded payment. When the fellow servant pleaded for patience, the first servant refused and had him thrown into prison.

When the king heard what had happened, he was furious. He called the unmerciful servant back and said, “You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?”

Jesus concluded, “This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

This story teaches that forgiveness should be limitless. We are called to forgive others as God has forgiven us, even when it is difficult. Jesus makes it clear that our ability to forgive others is deeply connected to the forgiveness we receive from God.

2. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

A Jewish lawyer, trying to test Jesus, asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The lawyer answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Do this and you will live,” Jesus said. But the lawyer, wanting to justify himself, asked, “Who is my neighbor?”

In reply, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and left him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was. And when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him, bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'”

Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The lawyer replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This story teaches that loving others means showing mercy and kindness, even to those we might consider enemies. In this parable, Jesus challenges us to expand our understanding of “neighbor” and love others selflessly, without prejudice.

3. The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

Jesus told His disciples about the final judgment, saying, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

To the righteous, He will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

The righteous will ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

To those on His left, the King will say, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”

They will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes, or sick or in prison, and did not help you?”

He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

This parable teaches that our love for others is demonstrated through actions. Jesus makes it clear that when we help those in need—whether they are hungry, thirsty, strangers, sick, or in prison—we are showing love for Him. Our treatment of others reflects our relationship with Christ, and loving others is integral to the Kingdom of God.

In these stories, Jesus calls us to love others with selflessness, mercy, and compassion. Whether it’s forgiving those who have wronged us, helping those in need, or showing kindness to strangers, Jesus teaches us that our actions toward others are a reflection of our love for Him. True love for others is not just in words, but in deeds that demonstrate God’s love in practical ways.