Love Looks Like Something — Meeting Needs the Jesus Way (Part 4 of 5)
An Invitation Into Luke 10 Living: Meet Needs
Love Moves Toward Pain — A Personal Introduction
Sometimes the moments when we need help the most are the moments when we have the fewest words to say. Life has a way of knocking the wind out of us — not just emotionally, but practically. And in those places, love becomes something we feel more than something we hear.
I remember this vividly when my dad passed away. Most people didn’t even know he was gone — I didn’t have the strength to explain what was happening, let alone articulate what I needed. I was standing in a funeral home, staring at forms I couldn’t understand, unable to think clearly, unable to grieve because of the weight of logistical decisions. And then a friend showed up. No big gestures. No profound advice. She simply stood with me, helped me process paperwork, and steadied my mind when I felt numb. Her presence met a need I didn’t have the capacity to name.
Another time, after being attacked by a dog, I couldn’t work for months. The trauma froze parts of my life I didn’t know how to restart. And again — a friend showed up. With a simple plant. Not a sermon, not a solution, just a plant that gave my mind something gentle to rest on. She brought lunch, sat with me, asked questions, and didn’t try to fix me. She listened. Her quiet compassion met a need that was hidden beneath layers even I couldn’t fully explain.
These moments taught me something Jesus has been saying all along:
Real love moves toward pain.
Real love notices where someone is hurting.
Real love meets needs — sometimes with words, often without them.
This is why the third step of Luke-10-Living matters so much.
If blessing prepares the heart, and relationship opens the door, then Step 3 is where the love of Jesus becomes unmistakably visible. This is where faith becomes embodied — not merely spoken, but demonstrated. In Luke 10:9, Jesus gives the seventy-two a simple, profound instruction:
“Heal the sick who are there…”
In other words: Pay attention to what’s hurting — and bring God’s love into that very place.
Jesus love visible
If blessing prepares the heart, and relationship opens the door, then Step 3 is where the love of Jesus becomes unmistakably visible. It is where our faith becomes embodied — not merely spoken, but demonstrated.
In Luke 10:9, Jesus gives the seventy-two this simple instruction: “Heal the sick who are there…” In other words: Pay attention to what’s hurting — and bring God’s love directly into the place of need.
Pause and consider this important fact: Everywhere Jesus went, He met needs. Physical needs. Emotional needs. Relational needs. Spiritual needs. He saw people long before He saved them. He served people long before He spoke to them. He healed people long before He corrected them. His love moved toward pain, not away from it.
Meeting Needs Isn’t Complicated — It’s Compassionate
One of the greatest misunderstandings in Christian living is believing that “meeting needs” requires something dramatic or impressive. But friend, Jesus rarely made a spectacle of His kindness.
Meeting needs is often the most meaningful ministry that is simple, quiet, and deeply personal. It may look like:
Listening deeply when someone feels unheard
Bringing a meal
Covering someone’s shift
Speaking encouragement into discouragement
Offering prayer when the moment feels tender
Sending a text at the right time
Sitting with someone in their grief - you don’t need to say much, really.
Providing practical help — a ride, childcare, a resource
Offering wisdom or guidance when asked
Helping someone find support, counseling, or community
Galatians 6:2 captures this beautifully: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The law of Christ is love — and love shows up.
Seeing Needs Through Jesus’ Eyes
To meet needs well, we must first learn to see them. And that requires slowing down enough to notice.
Jesus noticed things most people missed. Jesus is never too busy to see pain. He was never too hurried to be present. Never too occupied to care. Consider these few examples:
He noticed the woman with the issue of blood who touched Him in a crowd (Mark 5:25–34).
He noticed blind Bartimaeus calling out from the roadside (Mark 10:46–52).
He noticed the paralyzed man’s friends lowering him through a roof (Luke 5:17–26).
He noticed the widow putting in her last two coins (Luke 21:1–4).
Meeting needs begins with the prayer: “Lord, help me see what You see today.”
Compassion Is the Currency of the Kingdom
Matthew 9:36 says, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
This compassion wasn’t pity — it was movement. It pushed Jesus toward people, not away from them. True compassion always becomes action. Sometimes the need is obvious — a crisis, a sickness, a loss. Other times the need is hidden — masked by strength, humor, or independence.
This is why relationships are essential. Relationships reveal needs that strangers never see.
Attentive listening helps us recognize the deeper needs behind someone’s words and tone — needs we can gently respond to with Christlike compassion, whether through action or prayer. This is especially critical if you are in a leadership role where you care for others - pastor, ministry leader, missionary.
You Don’t Have to Fix Everything — Just Love Faithfully
One of the enemy’s greatest lies is that if you can’t fix everything, you shouldn't try to fix anything. But Jesus never called you to be the Savior — He already is.
You are simply called to love people well in the moments God places before you. You don’t need to heal the whole world. You don’t need to meet every need. You just need to respond to the one in front of you.
As Mother Teresa famously said: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” Meaning: Start where you are. Start with who you see. Start with what you have. God multiplies what you offer.
How about you put your phone down when you’re at home or in a public space, and you ask the Holy Spirit to show you who and how you may love someone near?
Needs Become Gateways for the Gospel
This is where Step 3 flows naturally into Step 4. When people experience practical, tangible love, their hearts open in ways no argument ever could.
Needs met create space for hope. Hope creates curiosity. Curiosity creates conversations. And conversations create opportunities to share Jesus gently, wisely, and authentically.
Romans 2:4 reminds us that it is “the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.” Kindness is not optional. It is the front porch of the Gospel.
A Prayer as We Practice Recognizing & Meeting Needs
Lord, make us attentive to the needs around us. Give us eyes to notice pain, ears to hear what people aren’t saying out loud, and hearts that move with compassion rather than judgment. Teach us to step toward the hurting, not away. Show us how to meet needs with humility, gentleness, and wisdom. And in every act of love, let people feel the nearness of Your heart.
Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Paola