A New Commandment
Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter: O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Jesus makes plain his call to the disciples. “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples — when they see the love you have for each other” (verses 34-35).
Can
there be anything new about love? Hasn’t all been said in love stories, love
poems, and love songs? To love is not a new commandment. From the Old Testament
the Lord was very clear on the matter. “You
shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with
all your strength. And, “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
The
commandment is not new. However, this love is new. This is the kind of love the
world does not know. It is Christ’s love. The new kind of love the Christian is
called to give is a new kind of love. We love “As I have loved you.” says Jesus
1. A Universal love
– Jesus loved all. Regardless of race, gender, or moral condition.
A.
He is universal – The
Savior would remind us; “God so loved the
world…” –John 3:16a
B.
It includes every person – every man, every woman, every boy every
girl.
C.
No one is excluded from Jesus’ love. You cannot be too bad for
Jesus.
2. An unmerited love
– Jesus loved persons as persons. Not because they we worthy of His love.
A.
No one is worthy. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there
is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away;
they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even
one.”-Romans 3:11-12There is not a
righteous man on earth who does what is right and ever sins. – Ecclesiastes
7:20
B.
All have sinned. All have sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God. Romans 3:23
3. A sacrificial love
– Jesus loved all the way. Even to total sacrifice. His love has a cross on it.
A.
The ultimate kind of love. Greater
love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. John
15:13
B.
This love is to be expressed in being witnesses of the Savior’s
mercy and grace. Behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of
God; and such we are. For this cause, the world knows us not, because it knew
Him not. 1 John 3:1
C.
Already the Spirit grants you peace and joy through the
forgiveness of your sins.
1.
By the cross of Christ. God
has granted repentance that leads to life. Acts 11:18
2.
His Gospel - Is a message by
which you will be saved, you and your entire household. Acts 11:14
3.
He gives freely. From the
spring of the water of life. Revelation 21:6 And death shall be no more. Revelations 21:4
D.
He dwells with His people, adorning His Church as a bride for her
husband, making all things new.
Revelation 21:5 Therefore, as the Son of Man is glorified by His cross. Love hopes all things, believes all things,
endures all things…love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13
Dr. King famously said, “Peace is not the absence of war but the
presence of justice.” Our world changes when justice prevails. When we love
one another — no matter who they are — justice and peace become part of our
reality. When we work for justice and equality, we are fully living into the
love we are commanded to show one to the other by Jesus.
Loving those with whom we agree or are partial to is the easy part. Loving the rest of the folks we meet is a much harder proposition. This will not be news to us. It is a part of the human condition to love and to want to be loved.
Reality is…it is easier to love those who are more loving and lovable. It is said that John, in his old age, would remind those around him to love one another. When questioned why he told them this so very often, his reply would be, “Because it is what our Lord commanded. If it is all you do, then it is enough.”[3]
Here is an opportunity this week to talk about the requirement and justice of love. We so often draw lines about who we will love and who we will be tempted to cast in the role of “less loving” in our lives. This happens in the hearts and minds of both individuals — and the church. An interesting thing to note in this text is that Jesus is reminding the disciples that others will know them by their acts of loving (verse 35). We would do well to listen to this commandment.[4]
We are simply called to mimic the Savior’s love. This is what it means to be His witness. As Christ’s ambassador – you model the love of Christ. Continue then, “Lift High the Cross, the love of Christ proclaim, ‘till all the world, adore, His sacred name.”
Words- 1,025
Passive Sentences – 13%
Readability –81.2%
Reading Level
-4.8
[2] -The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
[4] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-john-1331-35-3
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