“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things I tell you” (Luke 6:46).
Spend five minutes scrolling through Christian social media and you’ll witness something Jesus never intended: His followers spewing hatred at politicians, mocking other religions, and nursing grudges like they’re spiritual trophies.
We claim to follow the guy who literally said “love your enemies” while hanging on a cross, forgiving the people torturing him to death. So what happened?
The uncomfortable truth is that we’ve gotten really good at quoting Jesus—and really bad at obeying Him. We’ve turned His radical commands into inspirational bumper stickers while conveniently forgetting the parts that demand something from us.
Here are 10 commands from Jesus that modern Christians keep forgetting aren’t optional.
1. Jesus Commanded Us to Love Our Enemies (And Facebook Proves We’re Failing)
“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 isn’t a suggestion. It’s not a “nice idea if you can manage it.” It’s a command.
Yet scroll through Facebook for ten minutes and watch professing Christians unleash vitriol on anyone who disagrees with them politically, theologically, or morally. Call them out and they’ll defensively claim, “I love the sinner but hate the sin!”
But everything about their words screams hatred, not love. Where is the Christ who said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”?
Here’s the test: When someone treats you badly, do you pray for them or post about them? Do you bless them or blast them online? Do you do good to them or justify your anger?
We want permission to hate our enemies. Jesus refuses to give it to us.
2. The Second Commandment Is Not a Suggestion
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:39
After identifying the greatest commandment (love God), Jesus immediately added this one. Not as a nice bonus. Not as an afterthought. As the second most important thing we can do.
Notice: This is a command, not a Facebook “like,” not a good idea, not something we’ll get to when convenient.
Why don’t we obey it?
Because it’s inconvenient, difficult, and demanding. When we truly love people—care for them to the point that they know it—they might actually need us. They might interrupt our schedules. They might ask for help at 2 AM. They might be messy, complicated, and exhausting.
It’s so much easier to:
- Love the lovely
- Care for the appreciative
- Give to the deserving
- Reach out to those who need nothing
But that’s not what Jesus commanded. He said love your neighbor—the annoying one, the difficult one, the one who voted differently than you.
