S) "34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:34-35 (NASB)
O) When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest of the Law, He replied that it was to love the LORD with all that we are. Then He said the second was like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. As famous as it is that Jesus said this (even the world will quote the second part as the "Golden Rule," Those were not at all new commandments (although Jesus clarified the broader definition of neighbor). However, here in the upper room, during the Passover before His crucifixion, He does give a new commandment. It's new, primarily, because the world had never seen an example of love like that which Jesus had for His disciples. Put simply, Jesus is better at loving us, than we are at loving ourselves. This is how the world will know that we are His disciples, if we love each other, not just as we love us, but as Jesus loves us.
A) The real focus here, is for me to be like Jesus. The first place my mind went with this verse, in applying it to my life, was the passage in Ephesians, where husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the church. I don't want to just love Kristin as I love myself, I want to love Kristin as Jesus loves Kristin. The same is true for my children. The same is true for my extended family, or my friends, or brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, or even strangers and enemies. The focus here, is to strive to see others the way Jesus sees them. That's what it means to be a disciple, anyway. I want to emulate the manners, discipline, behaviors, habits, practices, and lifestyle of my Master. In order to do that, I must study the way He loves, the way He walked and talked. I must know His heart for people. In order to do that, I must be attentive when I read my Bible. It's not enough to just read it by routine. I must approach it with intent. A perfect example is in this same chapter. Jesus spoke these words just after He had washed the feet of His disciples. And, it's notable that there is no mention He avoided the feet of Judas Iscariot. I must love, even those who betray me, like Jesus did (understanding that there are still boundaries and issues of trust). That's certainly not always easy, but if I am already submitting myself as is disciple, then it's not up to me anymore.
P) Father, Your love for me is really beyond my comprehension. However, there is a great deal about it that I can still apprehend from Scripture, and some I can even comprehend from my love for my children. But, I want to know it more because I want to be a better disciple of Jesus. You are holy, and so I want to make myself holy, devoted and separated for Your purposes and not my own. Open my eyes and ears, that I may better follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to His lead, and also give me the strength and will to heed those convictions, and not just recognize them. Let Your will be done, not mine, as I try to focus more and more on loving others as Jesus loves them, and not simply as I love myself. Thank You, Lord, that Jesus is better at loving me than I am at loving myself. That has never been so clear, as it is shown in the truth and reality of the cross. Let me be vocal about my need for the gospel, and plainly tell people that Jesus is better at loving them, than they are at loving themselves. Let me teach that to my kids, and encourage my wife with it. I pray that when others hear me call myself a Christian, that it resonates within them, because they see the love of Jesus through me. All this to Your glory alone. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment