Jesus’ disciples were a contentious and mixed-up bunch of folks. The variety of their education, social status, political views, and temperaments is huge. For instance, I marvel at how the Roman sympathizing wealthy tax collecting Matthew and the Roman hating firebrand zealot Simon ever got along. But Jesus’ upper room words recorded in John’s Gospel directly addresses their relationships.
Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:12–17, NASB95)
Jesus sets love as a command with the same weight as “thou shall not murder.” But He doesn’t leave it to us to define what love is or what it looks like. The very definition of the love we are to share with one another is how Christ loved them (and us). And to further explain, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” And if we ponder for just a moment, we’ll understand love. At its very core, love means setting aside our own life, desires, wants, goals, plans, and resources for that of a friend. The ultimate example is to lay down our life so another may live. That is the kind of love Jesus commands us to share with one another.
Jesus’ does not desire slavish obedience to His command but the joyous obedience of a friend. We may be Christ’s servants, but we are not slaves. Our obedience comes from our love for Christ and our love for one another. A slave blindly does the master’s bidding; a friend understands the purpose and shares the desires being commanded. So often, we take on a slave mentality, doing the things we think will please God or at least shield us from His anger. But that is wrong and short-sighted. Jesus invites us to walk with Him as friends, willingly following His lead.
It often seems that in our experience with Jesus that we chose Him, perhaps because there is an initial moment of decision that all followers share. In reality, however, Jesus chose us. Now, in John, Jesus is speaking directly of His disciples. But I believe that the basic truth of being chosen extends to all who follow Christ. Jesus chose you. And not only are you chosen, but you are appointed to bear fruit, especially the fruit of love. This circles back to Jesus’ earlier teaching on abiding in Him as a branch abides in the vine.
And just to make sure we understand, Jesus repeats His command to love one another. I think He really means it, even those we don’t see eye to eye or have a different view of life.
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