PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: John 13:31-38
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:31-38)
Jesus seems to set the bar really high, to love like he loves us.
And when Peter says he will lay down his life for him, Jesus questions it.
Is the bar really this high, and does Jesus know that we will fail?
God’s Law of Love is what we were made for, and what God desires from us.
But because we do not love like this, God sends Jesus to help us with love.
As Adam (human) Jesus does for us what we cannot do ourselves, to restore humanity.
Adam (and God’s kingdom) is restored, and we are included if we trust Jesus.
Jesus gives us his Spirit, to help us do the impossible – to love like him.
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
How did Jesus love people, did he only love the good ones, or the ones he liked?
How did he deal with people who didn’t “know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)?
How we treat others – sinners like us – needs to be gracious, like Jesus.
This is why Jesus left us here, to continue his love mission with the Spirit’s help.
Does the world see Jesus-like love growing in us, showing us to be his followers?
PRAYER
Lord, I cannot love like this myself, but you help me to grow in it. Help me to want to love like this, and to take steps in the right direction.
“you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Jesus challenged his followers to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” That is what we do now as we follow Jesus now and follow him to be with him when our mortal bodies fail us. But we have a difficult time to love like Jesus – sacrificially – help me Lord Jesus to love like you did – not to discriminate or hold back – open my eyes and nudge me to respond as you would- even in the little things I pray!