This is my commandment: that you love each other as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this – that a man should lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13
Throughout His ministry, Jesus preached the message of love. Grounded in the words of Leviticus, He taught a broader understanding, a fulfillment of the Law of Moses. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, He explained “Love others as you love yourself.” In the Sermon on the Mount, He pushed even farther – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This love was far-reaching and redeeming.
But in the Upper Room, as He prepared His disciples for life without His earthly presence, Jesus’ message of love took a more personal turn. To the eleven who had been with Him throughout His ministry and whose role would now be to carry on that ministry after His return to the Father, Jesus called to a relationship of strength. ”Love one another as I have loved you. This is how all men will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:35
Jesus knew the sincerity of the men who were with Him at that last celebration of the Passover. He also knew that they were human, that they had bickered over who would be the greatest in the kingdom. He foresaw the impact of Judas’ perfidy and their discouragement over Peter’s denial in the courtyard of the High Priest. He understood that He was asking them to sacrifice everything for the gospel, a task that would require inner strength. “Greater love has no man than this,” He explained to them, “but that he lays down his life for his friend.”
Whether figuratively in their dedication to ministry or in actual martyrdom, these men would learn to love as Jesus loved.
While it might seem obvious that this instruction to “love one another” was meant for the Church as well as the disciples, history provides us with evidence that the body of Christ has not always ”loved as He loved.” Pettiness and jealousies, pride, and desire for personal gain often interrupt the witness of the believers. Just as He recognized the weaknesses of the twelve He had chosen as disciples, Jesus knew that the Church would be the target for disruption and doubt. And so, He prayed for us at the same time that He prayed for the disciples – that we might be one in Him and with the Father. We accomplish this in the same way the disciples were instructed to accomplish it – by loving one another. As we grow in the faith and understand the hope promised to those who believe, we bond in relationships which reflect our love for Christ.
Love within the Church involves commitment. It calls us to service, to awareness, to prayer. It is a brotherhood beyond any we can imagine on earth because it is based on eternal outcomes. Simply put, it means to love as Jesus loved. It means laying down our lives.
Laugh with me when life is sweet,
weep with me when it is hard.
Stand by me when I am oppressed
and strengthen me when I am weak.
Remind me of Whose I am when the world would deny my faith,
and, in all things, let us love one another
so that our joy might be complete.