Verse: John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Devotion
Jesus aligns himself with both God and Moses when he gives this statement. Moses led his people literally out from slavery and brought them to the promised land that God pointed out for them. He met with God, and was given commandments written on stone tablets for the people to follow. But God was the one who wrote the commandments, mapping out the way that he wanted his people to live. And just as Jesus says in this verse, the way that God commanded the Israelites to live was to set them apart as belonging to Him.
Jesus’ disciples were Jewish as well, and they would have understood clearly the implications of a new commandment. This was a directive for the way they were to live their lives. Love is not a feeling, but a choice, made repeatedly over time. Jesus demonstrated his love to his disciples in many ways. I would love to have seen some of the smaller ways that he demonstrated his love, that we don’t have a record of. But we do have a record of some. Washing their feet(putting their needs ahead of his), comforting their fears, teaching them how to use the authority he had given them.
In some ways it sounds like parenting. He taught them patiently, and repeatedly, until they understood. He lived out servant leadership. But he also expected that once they understood, they were then to move outward and follow his example. And as the time of his death approached, this verse was what he said to them, in preparation to leave them. It wasn’t the first time he had given love as the ultimate in commands. In Matthew 22, we see Jesus respond to a question about the greatest commandment, by indicating that to love God and one another are the greatest commandments. His ultimate example of love to us was the giving of his life, which definitely was not what he felt like doing on a whim, but a deliberate choice that he made, to love us.
Prayer
Jesus, you have commanded us to love, and shown us such love. We aren’t as like you as we should be, and we need you to help us. Thank you that you offer us help, and rest, and grace to learn. Amen
Author: Emily Costa
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