Love One Another

Love One Another

John 13: 34-35

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Let’s go to the Lord in Prayer!

Yesterday when I probably should have been working on some things around the house or perhaps I should have been working on my sermon and the bulletins I done neither. I spent the day with my grandson James.

We took the garbage out to the road, and then we went for a walk down the road. When we came back I sat and rested while he road his bike for a while then we went out in the pasture, as we call it, and filled up my deer feeder. After that we walked around in the pasture for about 45 minutes. When we came back to the house he road his bike for a while and I cleaned out my truck between bouts of working on his bicycle for him. And then we went in the house and I watched him play computer games for about two hours. Then because Donna wasn’t feeling too good I took him home.

My point is that I maybe should have done some other things but instead I, in some people’s eyes, just wasted the whole day. But that would not be true because I spent the whole day showing James that I Loved him and wanted to do things with him and be a part of his life!

This was Jesus’ new command to the disciples and to all of us that we love one another. This may come as a surprise to you but this is truly a new command for nowhere in the bible, in the old or new testaments, prior to this does it tell us to love one another!

It tells us to love our enemies and to love our neighbors but it doesn’t tell us to love one another. And you may ask yourself why this is so important?

It was important enough for Jesus to tell it to his disciples on the night that he was to be betrayed by one of his closest friends and disciple.

He goes on to give us one very important reason for this in the very next verse. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

All men shall know that you are Christians by this one act of loving one another.

But notice in verse 34 what he says about this love. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Look right in the middle of that sentence and see Jesus say as I have loved you. As I have Loved you! How had Jesus Loved us or his disciples?

For an answer to that question look at verses 3-15 of this chapter.

3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

So Jesus has given us an example of what we should do. Do you realize what this example truly meant? In Israel at that time just about everybody walked where ever they went. The roads were covered in dust and mud and animal dung, and all of this was caked to the traveler’s feet and they were filthy. So filthy in fact that the task of washing ones feet was usually given to the lowliest servants. And yet we find Jesus washing the disciple’s feet and almost immediately afterwards he is telling them that he has given them an example and then telling them to love one another as he has loved them!