Valentine’s Day is when many tokens are passed around. There are ooh’s, aah’s and temporary feelings of warmth and acceptance, but underneath it all, most things do not change. We get no credit for doing the expected, or doing something that, in the long run, benefits us; that is, “give to get.”

Love, on the other hand, is giving without expecting anything in return. Love is hard to measure. As somebody has said, “Love does not just ‘say,’ Love ‘does.’”

One of the best examples of love “doing” is a story in the Bible about a traveling man who fell on hard times. This story can be found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 30-37. This traveling man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. The road was flush with cutthroats and robbers. This traveling man was waylaid by a band of robbers, picked clean, and kicked off to the side of the road. The man was not dead, but was left for dead. This was a busy road. Another traveler came by, saw the wounded man, and passed by with little more than a glance. A second traveler happened by and he, like the first passer-by, moved on without even acknowledging the wounded man or promising to send someone else to help him.

Finally, a Samaritan came by, saw the wounded man, stopped and helped. The Samaritan undid his pack, found some cloths and some oil, cleaned the wounds, and bound him up with the oil and cloths. After getting the wounded man as comfortable as possible, the Samaritan further interrupted his trip by putting the wounded man on his animal and transported him to the nearest wayside inn. The Samaritan helped the wounded man into the inn, made him comfortable, and told the innkeeper to house and feed the man until he was able to travel again. The Samaritan paid the innkeeper and told him if there were any more charges, he would pay them the next time he traveled through.

The Samaritan could have passed this wounded man up like the other two did, thinking he did not have the time, or saying to himself, “Surely, somebody will come by and help this guy.” No, he stopped; he helped; he loved.

Jesus was telling this story to illustrate “loving your neighbor as yourself.” The Samaritan acted in genuine love. There was nothing in it for him. The powerful principle that should drive us is, “Love somebody else as much as we love ourselves.”

Love needs to look like something.

Dan Puckett works with road team operations at Life Action Ministries in Buchanan, Michigan.