Advent Lutheran Church

"The New Commandment"

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³²If God has been glorified in him,^* God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

The New Commandment

When thinking about the concept of love what comes to your mind? Do you hear the classic Beatles song All You Need Is Love? Do you picture your partner, children, parents, siblings, or friends? Maybe shows like The Bachelor or The Millionaire Matchmaker define love for you.

In this John text Jesus is calling us to love in a way that is often very difficult for us. Not only does Jesus call us to love each other as he loved us but then sets it as the standard of discipleship. This is a love that doesn’t let scriptural interpretation keep us from truly welcoming everyone. It is a love that compels us to seek those who have wronged us to try and work it out. It is love without fear, control, or boundaries that sees the best in each person. Jesus calls us to love outside the box and outside of our comfort zone.