Love As I Have Loved You

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  John 13:34-35

Yesterday we dug into the first part of a response from Jesus to the Pharisees telling them the greatest Commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. He was reminding them that was impossible in and of themselves, they needed to remember the Law was given to show them how much they needed God and how much He loved them and wanted a relationship with them. But they had become self-righteous focusing only on themselves and how righteous they are because of what they do for God, leaving them always feeling there was more to do.

If that wasn’t enough of an eye opener He said that they should love their neighbor as themselves. But who is our neighbors? According to the Greek word plesion, it means a friend, any other fellow man. Now to the Jew, considering they believed a friend or neighbor meant only someone who was Jewish, this was startling news. But if they didn’t love their neighbor as God loves all people, how then could they truly love God. It left them with quite a conundrum, because it would mean they would have to give up their self-righteous attitude in order to please God.

Jesus ended His response to them with saying these two Commandments were the base the entire Law and the demands of all the prophets rested on. But at the last supper, Jesus knowing what His death and resurrection would do told, His disciples He was giving them a new Commandment, to love our neighbors as He has loved us. Now I don’t know about you, but when I think about all I have needed to be forgiven of and how much He still loves me, how can I not love someone else in spite of their short comings. I can’t think of anything else that generates more thankfulness than Jesus making a new Covenant with God so I can know I am loved no matter what. Now that truly is amazing grace and it is a sweet sound.