January 19, 2016

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” John 13:34

When Jesus said that he was giving us a New Commandment, he was not really talking about something “new”. Love had always been around. Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, for he loved her very much. (Genesis 29:20) And of course, there is the love verses from 1 Corinthians 13. Love is mentioned approximately 130 times in the Old Testament and approximately 180 times in the New Testament. And love is not just a part of Christianity, but love is a part of many religions of the world. As you read the bible, notice how often love is mentioned.

The new commandment that Jesus gives to the disciples is a “new” kind of love. It is not a vague and general love that many people feel for each other. It is a deep, selfless, sacrificial love that few are capable of showing all of the time.
Of course Jesus is trying to show his disciples how this kind of love can be lived out in their lives. He especially demonstrates it in the Upper Room where he stoops to wash the feet of his disciples. So, the love that Jesus is talking about, selfless love, putting others first, not parsing out love based on class or gender, is a love that the world, that hadn’t been seen before. This is why Jesus is able to call it a “new” command. And people who follow Jesus should be identified for their love because it will be seen as a different kind of love – one the world just does not understand. This new, self-sacrificing love will set the disciples and us apart from everyone else. They will know that we are Christians by our love.

This New Year, can you recognize the need for a love that is commanded by Jesus? Keep an eye out for love in the bible, and especially keep an eye out for ways that you can express that kind of love in your family, community, and the world.

Pastor Dave