A Disciple of Jesus… Loves
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to love. First and foremost, to love God, which Jesus declares to be the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-38 - 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus told him, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' [a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:5] 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment…").
Jesus follows this up by saying that we should also love others (Matthew 22:39 - "The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, 'Love others as much as you love yourself' [quoted from Leviticus 19:18] …").
Loving others includes loving our enemies as well as our friends, those who reject our love as well as those who reciprocate it, and those who have not yet come to faith as well as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus says that love between those who already know the Lord is the hallmark of true discipleship (John 13:35 - This is how everybody will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for each other). Jesus actually calls this "a new commandment" (John 13:34 - "…I'm giving you a new commandment…to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another…").
We may well ask, "How is this a new commandment when it seems the same as an old commandment?" John addresses this in 1 John 2:7-11, where he says that the old commandment is also a new commandment. If we think about it, the commandment to love in the Law of Moses was evidenced only in outward behaviour but, under the New Covenant, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us so that we can truly love from the heart as His love floods our hearts (Romans 5:5). This also means that the New Covenant love is a sacrificial love, modelled on Jesus' love (John 13:34 - "…as I have loved you…").
So, whilst being an old commandment, it is also a new commandment because our love is being held to a higher standard. This is not a love which can be generated by own efforts. We can only know and exercise this love if we know God and are filled with His Spirit. This is how John explains it in 1 John 4:7-11 –
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we must also love one another.
Verse 9 reminds us of John 3:16 –
For God [the greatest Giver] so loved [the greatest degree] the world [the greatest company] that He gave [the greatest sacrifice] His only begotten Son [the greatest gift], that whosoever [the greatest opportunity] believes [the greatest simplicity] in Him [the greatest attraction] should not perish [the greatest promise] but [the greatest difference] have [the greatest certainty] eternal life [the greatest possession].
I'm also reminded of a song by Chris Bowater, a song which shows how our love for others flows from our love for God:
If you love Me. keep My commandments;
If you love Me, then do what I say.
There's no room for discussion, debate or opinion:
If you love Me, do what I say.
If you love Me, care for my body;
If you love Me, then do what I say.
Care for the helpless, the homeless, the sad and dejected:
If you love me, do what I say.
If you love me, feed those that hunger;
If you love me, then do what I say.
My Word can satisfy man's deepest longings:
If you love me, do what I say.
How can I show My love to the millions
If I don't show that love through you?
I long for a people that just want to please me
And love me enough to do what I ask them to do,
If you love me, then share me with others;
If you love Me, then do what I say.
There are many that need me, will you introduce me?
If you love me, really love me:
If you love Me, then do what I say.
We might feel that we fall short of such love. Maybe our love for God has grown cool, or doesn't reach the measure that we feel is expected of us. Maybe we find it challenging to love others. The way we feel that we are treated by our fellow Christians can sometimes cause us to want to withhold love from them; and maybe the reason why we are less than fully zealous about winning the lost is because we don't love them as much as Jesus does.
Rather than beating ourselves up over this, let's pray for God to increase our capacity to love Him and to allow His Holy Spirit to flood our hearts with His love so that we can love others. Let's not strive to love in our own strength - that is bound to fail. We need to overflow with the selfless agape love of God, that fruit of the Spirit which can only be generated as we surrender to Him, go deeper in fellowship with Him, and, with His help, allow our own selfish desires to melt away.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for loving us so much, and that Your love has transformed us into more than we could possibly be otherwise. Please increase our capacity to host the presence of Your Holy Spirit within us so that we can love You more and overflow with Your love to others. As Your disciples, we want to love as You love. Amen!
