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Saturday, October 01, 2005
A New Commandment
I've always been a big fan of revolutionary changes. I'm drawn to the 1960's and the civil rights movement and the social upheaval of those times. I love history and especially American history around the time of the Revolution. Even the communist revolution stuff is intriguing.
I like revolutionary ideas even when they come up in smaller ways too. For example, I'm intrigued to no end by the grass-roots ideas that are popping up in regard to the state of the American church right now. I love seeing my wife's personal changes, moving from full-time mom to highly gifted artist/photographer.
Things like that I'm drawn to...but they come at the expense of my comfort zones. Like most people I generally don't like change. So, when you move the furniture in a room in my house, I gripe about it for a week or so...only to find myself really liking the new arrangement about 8 days later.
So, can you imagine the upheaval the disciples must've felt as the events unfolded in the last part of John 13 and the early part of 14?
"When therefore he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, where I am going you cannot come." (verses 31--33)
Basically, Jesus was telling the disciples that God was about to glorify Himself. Now, a bit of context helps out here...This is in the last night with the disciples. They've already had dinner together to, in the disciples minds, celebrate the Passover. In Jesus' way of thinking, it was one last teachable moment.
So, he taught them that God was going to be glorified by Jesus' going away.
Can you imagine what was going through the disciples minds? Something like, "Wait a minute here. We droppped everything to follow you these last three years. We've been confused. We've been enlightened. We've seen miracles. We've seen you being chased to be killed. We've heard the teachings. We've seen the lives changed. We've seen it all. There's a Kingdom coming of which you will be King. We pretty much assumed we were going to be the revolutionaries and overthrow the government and get our own positions of power. But now...YOU'RE LEAVING?"
Then more teaching: "A new commandment I give to you, that youlove one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
A revolutionary new commandment was just given. This isn't the same old "love God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself" bit. Nope, this is a fresh commandment. One that is actually fleshed out and more demanding than even that one...which was pretty darn demanding when you think about it. And now, love each other with a love for which no sacrifice is too great.
In fact, that'll be the very thing that people will measure when deciding if you follow me or not...
...whether or not you love each other.
...With a love for which no sacrifice is too great.
Not by our Bible knowledge. Not by how many hospitals we build. Not by how large our church is. Not by how many good works we do. Not by how many fish decals we put on our cars. Not by how good our arguments are in classrooms teaching evolution. Not by how many lobbyists we send to persuade governmental rulings. Nothing like that.
But rather by how much we love one another.
So, for today, I'm wondering why we don't take that teaching more seriously.
Brent 6:00 AM
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