12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
This, my friends, is quite a command from our Lord’s lips is it not? I am to love others as He loved me??? Not only that, Jesus even repeats His Words again in this same chapter a mere five verses later! The frequent repetition of this command teaches us of its vast importance not to mention the great rarity of the manifestation of consistent Christian charity. We should consider ourselves red flagged regarding its importance:
17 This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17 (NIV)
Seriously, could He have not picked something to command a bit more attainable or perhaps palatable than this? Surely, it is easy to love Him, but each other – are you kidding me??? The annoying as well as the hateful – the rude as well as the loudmouth (me) – the boring as well as the loquacious - the arrogant as well as the super pious - you get my drift here – all fall under His term “each other”. Ouch!
“If monotony tries me, and I cannot stand drudgery; if stupid people fret me and little ruffles set me on edge; if I make much of the trifles of life, then I know nothing of Calvary’s love.” Amy Carmichael
We better get this straight – friendship with the Lord Jesus involves an obligation of brotherly love towards our brothers (and sisters). We have a great duty of love toward other Christians – our Lord backs His command with His exemplary behavior.
“Nothing less than His matchless love towards sinners should be the measure and standard of love to one another...How anyone can pretend to Christian hope who is ignorant of Christian love, it is hard to understand. He that supposes he is right in the sight of God, because his doctrinal views are correct – while he is unloving in his temper, and sharp, cross, snappish, and ill-natured in the use of his tongue, exhibits wretched ignorance of the first principles of Christ’s Gospel. The crossness, spitefulness, jealousy, maliciousness, and general disagreeableness of many high professors of ‘sound doctrine,’ are a positive scandal to Christianity. Where there is little love there can be little grace.” John Charles Ryle
14 You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14 (NIV)
Christ came as the embodiment of God’s love so now too believers are to embody Christ’s love to a hurting and needing world – showing ourselves to be His disciplesis HH . This is a fundamental law of His kingdom. Brotherly love is never obsolete or out of date or antiquated in God’s eyes – it is an everlasting command. We are to strengthen one another’s hands through love showing ourselves to be His disciples. Jesus tells us:
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Brotherly love is to be the badge of the Lord’s disciples. It is a distinguishing characteristic of His family (like “cankles” is to mine – I couldn’t resist!). Brotherly love is what believer’s are to be noted for. Love was what our Master was famous for – the heart of Christ being very much set on it. Likewise, Christians are to be known for their affections for one another. John exhorts believers with the following Truths in 1 John:
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 1 John 2:9-11 (NIV)
21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:21-23 (NIV)
“‘God is love; and everyone that loveth is born of God’: if we love one another as brethren in Christ, and love all saints as saints, not because they are of this or that party; and if we love, not in word only, but in deed, and show the truth of our love by works and labours of love, this is a solid proof to ourselves, and to others, that we are real disciples of Jesus: it is a clear testimony that we have truly learned Christ, and that we have his Spirit and his love shed abroad in our hearts; that we are of the family and household of faith, and shall enjoy all the family privileges. This is a better evidence, and more convincing to all around us, of what we are, than all knowledge, gifts, attainments, and outward privileges whatever. O God of love, cause me to love thee, and all thine; the poor, the weak, and the feeble, as well as the strong: for all are thine.” K. H. Von Bogatzky