"A NEW COMMANDMENT: LOVE ONE ANOTHER"

Sunday, May 06, 2007 - 5th Sunday of Easter
Reading: John 13:31-33, 34-35

The hard part was about to begin. Jesus would soon be leaving his apostles and disciples and going to his Father in heaven. If they thought life had been rough before, wait until he was no longer visibly present with them. “My children,” he said to them,“I am not to be with you much longer. I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Such as my love has been for you,so must your love be for each other.”

The time was about to begin for them to grow up. They were to remain spiritually children no longer. They had been protected and coddled long enough. They had received three years of patient instructions and example. Now they were to put all that knowledge into action. It had to become a part of them. It had to become them. God is Love and the followers of Christ had to become like God.

“This is how all will know you for my disciples:” Jesus told them, “Your love for one another.”
And history verifies that not only those apostles and disciples became loving people but that thousands of their converts became distinguished by the love in their lives.“See how they love one another” became a common remark made by other people, by even their enemies. How long has it been since the world has heard that said about the followers of Christ? Maybe occasionally about an elderly married couple, or even about two very close friends, but about Christians as Christians?

Though now very old — nearly 2000 years — that commandment Jesus announced to his disciples as a new one still remains new. The world acts as if it never heard it. We all need to hear it again and again. “Love one another, as I have loved you.”

The word “love” is certainly not new. It’s the “how” part that is new. It is to do it like Jesus did, like God does it all the time that is new to us. False ideas of what love is and how to live it have circulated since the Garden of Eden days. And many of those ideas are not love at all but merely attempts to selfishly satisfy ourselves at someone else’s expense. Personal pleasure, self—gratification, control and power over others are often achieved under the disguise and in the name of love. “See how they use and abuse one another” can possibly be a better description of the people of today - often, of even Christians.

It never ceases to amaze me that in the lives of the saints, the saints who seem to have lived and devoted their lives to doing good for others, that they never seemed satisfied with themselves. They looked upon themselves as the world’s greatest sinners. They didn’t think they loved others very well at all. They believed they fell far short of loving like Jesus loved. Where does that leave us? Most of us find ourselves far short of loving like those saints loved. Is there any hope for us?

Ever feel like you’ve been doing pretty good? You’ve been doing your best treating other people nice like. You not only tell them to “have a good day,” but you look at them and give them a sincere smile when you say it. And you go out of your way to do things that really help others to have that good day you wish for them. You are really doing your best to be a good and kind person. Then — all of a sudden something goes wrong. You get sick - maybe the flu, or an unexpected large expense torpedoes your finances — your car breaks down. Maybe an accident or death hits the family. Or maybe you become aware that a close friend or someone you’ve been especially good to has been playing you for a sucker - you feel used. No matter what it is, big or small, it seems to change your attitude and feelings towards other people and you just don’t feel like doing anything for anyone anymore.

That’s when - if you listen hard - you’ll hear the voice of Jesus Christ again - this time talking to you. “My child, you thought you were really catching on to this how to love people thing. Well, you were. But you still have a long way to go. Remember, I said to love others as I love you. That means even when you feel like the world and everyone in it is crucifying you, when you feel like you are being used and stepped upon by every selfish, noncaring person you know — and those you don't know. For you to really learn how to love, I have to let you go through periods of feeling that I have left you - like I felt my Father left me when I was hanging on my cross. You have to feel like you are all alone. You won’t be — really — for I’ll be carrying you through all your misery and depression. But you won’t know it, except very vaguely - by faith.

“You might become very cranky with people. You might say very unkind things to some, treat them rudely or just plain awfully. And the memory of those words and actions of yours might embarrass you for a long time to come. For you thought you were far along on the road to becoming a very loving and kind person, only to be made aware that you aren’t so great after all. Does that discovery humble you? I hope so. For now you are being given the opportunity of climbing even farther up that ladder of love. What you feel to be a great failure in your life is really for the purpose of bringing you ultimate and everlasting success. Just hang in there, and you’ll find that things gradually get better. Time and faith in me are needed for you to learn how to love.”

And so it will go off and on throughout your life. Just when you think you’re on the right track and you’re improving in your attitude and character, something will happen to upset your apple cart. It happened to the Apostles and early Christians over and over. It must happen to you — if you really are ever going to learn how to love as Jesus Christ loves you. Failures, mistakes, stupidities, embarrassments — all are a part of our growing package. Remember, you’re learning something completely new to the world. You’re learning how to love!