“A new commandment – Let there be love” Is the theme for reflection. A commandment is a law given by God to be obeyed as a sign of our love and faithfulness to Him. Love in the context of our reflection is the unconditional care and affection for others. Jesus gives us a new commandment to love unconditionally. We shall reflect on the fact that the command to love includes our enemies.
Beloved in the Lord, before we can appreciate Jesus’ new commandment of love in John 13:31-35, we need to observe what transpired in John 13:1-30. Reading from John 13:1-35, Jesus teaches us that it is a profound act of unconditional love to wash the feet of your enemy. In John 13:12-17, we see Jesus wash the feet of His disciples including Judas who will later betray Him. In all sincerity, how many of us will bow down to wash the feet of the person who will betray us and have us put to death? Nonetheless, Jesus’ love for all His disciples including Judas, challenges our understanding of love. We are to love unconditionally including our enemies! Ordinarily, many of us in the position of Jesus would have excluded Judas from the gathering knowing his evil intentions but Jesus washed His feet and fed him. After Jesus had served Judas by washing his feet and feeding him, He said to unrepentant Judas “…what you are going to do, do quickly.”(John 13:27).
Dear friend, Jesus loves everyone including His enemies and He has taught us to obey this new thought-provoking commandment when He said “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). Again, according to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus instructs us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45). Beloved in the Lord, since we have become servants and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have no choice but to trust and obey Him. He is our Lord and Saviour and has admonished us,“… I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:15-17). In other words, we are to follow the footsteps of Jesus and love everyone including our enemies.
Loving our enemies regardless of their evil intentions against us is a difficult teaching to most people including many Christians, however, it is also the only way we can please our Lord and Master Jesus Christ and become the true children of God. On the cross, Jesus again gave us a practical demonstration or application of the new commandment “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). Like many of us would do when we are hurt and offended, instead of cursing His enemies and all those who arrested, tortured and killed Him, Jesus rather loved them unconditionally on the cross and prayed for them, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Dear friend, how many of us are faithfully obeying the new commandment of unconditional love in our churches and societies. Do we care for those who offend us or look for every means to repay evil for evil? Do we forgive our enemies and wish them well? Is our love conditional? In other words, do we love only those who love us but hate those who hate us? Let us remember that to be a disciple of Christ is an extraordinary calling. We are to stand out in the world and it is for this reason Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14,16). We must not allow anger, resentment and unforgiveness to put off the light of Jesus’ unconditional love in us. Sometimes it is difficult to obey Jesus’ new commandment of love when people treat us unfairly, attack us for no just cause, betray us and seek our downfall and disgrace at our workplace, church and society. When we are filled with anger and the feeling of retaliation, let us pray and yearn to do the will of God through the study of His Word for “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:26)
In summary, we have meditated on the theme “A new commandment – Let there be love.” We have learnt that Jesus’ new command to love others as He has loved us includes our enemies. Shalom.
PRAYER
Holy Spirit, in instances and situations, when we are hurt and offended by people who are determined to betray us and seek our downfall, strengthen us to obey Jesus’ new commandment of unconditional love. May we be moved by this reflection to forgive and love unconditionally all those who have hurt us in the past and present so that God’s perfect will shall be done in our lives and His name glorified in our lives. Amen.
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