If You Have Love

Day 144: John 13:31-38, John 14:1-14

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35 ESV

This is the first of three instances where Jesus commands His disciples to love one another (13:34, 15:12, 17), but this one is unique in the fact that He calls it a new command.

What was so new about this command? The Law of Moses commanded them to love their neighbor as themselves (Leviticus 19:18), but Jesus ratchets the expectation way up. He is asking His disciples (and us) to love each other in the way that He loved them. A love that serves. A love that gives. A love that self-sacrifices for the good of others. A love that forgives. A love that confronts injustice.

We soon realize that this kind of love will not be something that we can master in 20 years of practice. We will always be working on it.

Also, Jesus said that it should be our main signifier to the outside world that we know and follow Him. Unfortunately, this isn't what we are known for most in the world today. But the result of certain Christians obeying this command over the past 2,000 has literally changed the world in more ways than we have room to talk about here.

From the abolition of slavery to gender equality to care for the poor, Christians have always led the way in loving and caring for all.

Your turn.

"The new commandment was love for one another. It would hold them together and mark them as disciples of Jesus. Even so are we bound together and marked today." - Foster, L. (1987). John: Unlocking the Scriptures for You (p. 151)