TEXT: JOHN 13:34-35 (CSB) – ““I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
We will begin to look at three characteristics of Jesus’ love. First of all, His love is characterized by ACTION, not FEELING. I consider this good news because, to be honest, it is very difficult for me to FEEL love for some people.
This reminds me of a story about a seminary professor who spent a lot of time lecturing on the importance of loving one another. One day he had a new sidewalk poured in front of his house. A small neighborhood boy was playing around there and apparently didn’t realize it was wet because He ran RIGHT THROUGH the cement and messed up the seminary professor’s beautiful new sidewalk. He caught the boy and really reamed him out! Some of his students heard about this and when he came into class the next day They said, “You’ve been telling us that we ought to love one another, but look how hard you were on that little kid.” The professor replied, “It’s like this. I love him in the abstract, but I don’t love him in the concrete!”
Well, I think we understand how that professor felt…..it IS hard to FEEL love for everyone! So, fortunately, this is a command not to FEEL love but to ACT in love.
Jesus is talking about a love that is controlled not by the HEART but by the HEAD….it is a love that expresses itself by doing good things for other people.
The love Jesus commands here is a love of ACTION….and we see this quality of love in God’s love for us.
· John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He acted….“He GAVE His only Son.”
· Romans 5:8 says, “God DEMONSTRATES His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus’ love is a love characterized by ACTION, not necessarily FEELING. We are commanded here to ACT in love toward all people.
Today, as you think over what I have posted – do you find it hard to love some people? Be honest. Is it good to know that Jesus is not calling us to love by feeling – but by actions. How can we demonstrate the Mark of a Christian as Jesus in our actions of love?
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