25. Love one another…
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35
This verse could be a game changer, a world changer. It is so powerful it blows me away. Yet so simple. So why do we find it so hard to do what it says? Three little words – Love one another – repeated three times by Jesus for emphasis. Three little words that ought to be the distinction between Christ followers and the rest of the world, so they know we are his disciples.
So why is it so hard? Maybe because Jesus adds a description of this love we are to have for each other – it needs to be the same as the love he has for us. What would it take for us to love one another as Jesus loves us?
Let’s take an inventory of how Jesus loves us. This morning, December 20th, I was looking through Facebook and was struck by a photo of a relative’s new baby. It reminded me that Christmas is about Jesus, prepared to give up his place beside his Father God, to come to earth as a helpless, tiny baby – his gift of love, himself.
As if that wasn’t enough, he spent the next thirty years growing up, walking the streets, never knowing where his bed would be for the next night. He taught us, he healed us, he demonstrated his love for us by giving all that he was on our behalf never thinking of himself. He was persecuted, ridiculed, and finally crucified so that we could be restored into a right relationship with God, so our sins could be paid for and wiped out once and for all. His love led him to be our scapegoat (check out Leviticus 16 for an understanding of the role of a scapegoat), to descend into hell, do battle with Satan, and destroy his power over us.
Yes, that’s what the love of Jesus looks like.
Okay, so this is how much Jesus is saying we should love one another. Fine when we are all getting along together, when things are going well. But this love must also be strong in the tough times, when we don’t agree, when all we really want to do is kill each other. When we want to turn our backs, and walk away. When a loved one hurts us, behaves wrongly, speaks harsh words. Our response must be to love despite what is going on, just as Jesus loves us.
Prayer: Continue to remind us of your great love for us not just at Christmas and Easter but every day may we keep the image of the baby Jesus, our gift under the Christmas tree, in our minds and hearts juxta-positioned with the image of your son, Jesus, dying on the cross, pouring out his life for us in love. And help us to love as Jesus loves, we can’t do it on our own. Pour your love into us daily so we may be full to overflowing with love for one another.
Amen
Action: Today consider how you can love another. How will the love of Jesus pour out of you to your family, friends, work colleagues, strangers on the street? What actions will this lead you to. Then just do it…
Journal your thoughts…
