A New Command

I vividly remember the incident. I was a freshman and my brother was in eighth grade. We were in a brand new school in a new state. We had not been there but a few weeks. He and I were in the gym and across the gym one of the biggest, most popular, and athletic guys at the school was picking on a smaller weaker kid. My brother, Randy, saw this and said we had to do something. I knew what was happening was wrong, but I did not want to make enemies at a new school, especially with the most popular kid. My brother was not worried about such things. He saw someone hurting and he was going to do what he could to stop it. Randy crossed the gym, confronted the bully, and as I suspected, Randy quickly became the problem. The thing with having a sibling is that a sibling’s problem, by nature, becomes your problem. So I rushed across the gym and in the blink of an eye there was a ball of people going at it. And just as I suspected, the next few weeks of football practice were not fun for me. Randy did not mind though. it did not bother him to fight, to lose a fight, or to suffer the consequences of the confrontation in order to stand up for someone. He was willing to sacrifice in order to love.

The world, and regrettably, the church uses the word “love” with too much frequency and as such have diluted its meaning. “I love Oreos,” or “I love going skiing,” or “I love the beach” and expressions like them have taken the normal and admittedly, sometimes exciting, and fun things of life and attached a depth of care to them that they do not deserve. When we use the word “love” we more often than not mean, “I have a great affinity for,” or “I enjoy this thing, experience, or person more than others.”

This frivolous use of the word “love” has caused the church to lose some of its power. By power I mean force, mission, and drive. You see, Jesus, as he is preparing his disciples for his departure on his last night provides them with a new commandment. It is this singular commandment which spurred the growth of the newfound church and all great movements of the Spirit of God throughout church history.

Jesus says, “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” (John 13:34-35). Here Jesus presents us with mission of the church to the church-to love. But love has supposed to be the defining trait of all God-fearers since Adam, hasn’t it? Yes, but this love that Jesus describes here in each of the four times he uses it is not a casual, brotherly, or friendly love. This love is an agape love, a self-sacrificial; a looking out for you more than me; a willingness to dye to my will and ways for you type of love.

It is this type of love, this self-sacrificial love, that drove Jesus to the cross, that caused him to endure the pain and shame of the wrath of God on behalf of sinful men.

When love defines the attitudes and actions of the church, its impact is nothing short of transformative. Families are united, communities are strengthened, and lands are forever changed. This love, rooted in kindness and selflessness, has the power to mend broken relationships, uplift the downtrodden, and bring hope to the hopeless. As the church embodies this profound love, its influence radiates far beyond its walls, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and redemption. How? This self-sacrificial love is such a powerful statement of truth that it cannot be denied. When the gospel is accompanied by a self-sacrificing love, the gospel is given a tangible power wherever it is shared.

 When we sacrifice our desires, dreams, motivations, plans, and even rights we become the parents, spouses, children, employees, supervisors, and citizens that care more about others than ourselves. This love is as contagious as it is reciprocal. This love validates the message of the gospel and transforms those who participate in it into partners of the gospel message.

 Are you living out this new command as a parent, or grandparent? Are you practicing this love as a spouse? Are you sharing this love as a friend or coworker? When we live out this new command, our lives and our message come to life to the good of others and the glory of God. Let’s see how we can change the lives of others by loving them like Jesus. Be bold and put his new command into practice.

By His Grace,

Brad