Love You! Pray: Father, fill my heart with Your presence and my mind with Your power to learn. May I listen to You today. Read: John 13:31-38 [31] When he was gone, Jesus said, Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. [32] If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. [33] My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. [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. [36] Simon Peter asked him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus replied, Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later. [37] Peter asked, Lord, why cant I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. [38] Then Jesus answered, Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! Consider: What exactly does it mean to love one another? What are the essential components of the distinctive love that Jesus commands in todays passage (34)? Make a list! Think Further: This passage marks the beginning of Jesus Farewell Discourse, as its called. For those who want to look ahead, the theme of the mutual glorification of the Father and the Son, which appears here (31,32), shapes the whole discourse in a deep way and then reappears at the end--(c.f. 17:24-26). So this passage sets the basic themes and message for the next four chapters of the Gospel. Through being betrayed, condemned and executed--all that is about to happen--Jesus is not shamed (which would be the instinctive verdict of society at that time) but glorified. And in this glory, God is glorified. And as soon as God is glorified through the Son, he responds by passing the glory back--immediately. This double glorification probably reflects Jesus death and resurrection: through his shame and death he glorifies his Father, who responds by raising him immediately, and gloriously, from the dead. So, with this great climax and departure about to happen, the command to love one another is the absolutely vital thing that Jesus wants to leave with his disciples. They must love each other, following his example, who endured the cross, scorning its shame (Heb. 12:22). They must wash feet and love betrayers, two great symbols of the love to the end (1) which he has for them. Its not just Judas who cant receive such love--Peter cant, either. He still doesnt want to admit that he needs to be loved like this. His feeling in verse 8 is still strong for him, as he ironically protests that he will die for Jesus, rather than lose him (37)! For now, Jesus says, he must face his own darkness, and discover how to allow Jesus to die for him (38). Apply: Often it is more difficult to be loved than to love. Why? Revisit your list of love components: did you include the capacity to receive love? If not, why not? Pray: Lord, I want to be a lover in Your name. Help me to put off the attitudes of the flesh and put on the attitudes of the Spirit.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:14:22 +0000
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