John 13:34-35
34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
-------
Last night I was reading the autobiography of St. Therese and she talked about the value she got from meditating on this passage. So I decided to give that a try.
Have you ever thought about what it means to love one another as Christ has loved? Here are some examples from the Scriptures of how he loved, just off the top of my head:
- He responded to the needs of those who came to Him
- He gave food to the hungry
- He taught people about the Kingdom of God
- He prayed for them
- He told us we are to love our enemies
- He forgave those who offended him (ie, sinned against HIM)
- He served others
- He told us that if someone asks for our coat, we are to give him our cloak too
- He prayed for those who tortured Him
- He laid down His life for us
According to the passage above - this list and more is what Jesus COMMANDS us to do. He doesn't ask or suggest, he commands. Commands!
In addition, he says that it is by following this command that people will know we are His disciples.
Impossible? Yes, if we try to do this without Him. But with Him, all things are possible.
If I truly seek the Lord and His righteousness, this is what I should try to do, and I should trust that He will give me the grace to help me and strengthen me as I learn.
