John 13:34, 35 A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. I. IN ITS IMPORT. 1. That the disciples of Christ should love one another. "That ye love one another." (1) Man must be a disciple of Christ ere he can come under this law of Christian love. He must be a Christian disciple ere he can exercise Christian love towards another, and ere he can lawfully expect it from another towards him. This command was given by Christ to his disciples, and as such they were expected to obey it. It is true that Christians are to love mankind generally, and even their enemies, but not in the same way and degree as they are to love one another as the disciples of Christ. What is commanded here is Christian love. (2) This love is to be mutual. It is the duty of all, the duty of each disciple to love his fellow-disciple, and the equal duty of that fellow-disciple to love him. It is a universal duty of the Christian school and brotherhood, and there is no exception. If a man is a disciple of Christ, this command is binding on him. 2. That the disciples of Christ are to lore one another as Christ loved them. "As I have loved you." In order to know the full import of this command, we must know what Christ's love to his disciples was. (1) It was great and self-sacrificing. To know the fountain, look at the stream. To know the love of Christ, look at it in its gift, sacrifices, and miracles. The gifts of his love were princely, the exploits of his love were miraculous, and the sacrifice of his love was infinite. He loved his disciples more than himself. "He made himself of no reputation." To understand and imitate the love of Christ to some extent, his disciples' love must be great and self-sacrificing. They must love one another more than themselves. (2) His love was purely unselfish. He loved his disciples while poor and unworthy. The motives of his love were derived from himself, and not from them. He loved them in their weakness, errors, and backslidings, and his love was strongest when they least deserved it. One of them betrayed him, but he loved him still. Another denied him, and he loved him all the more. One sternly and stupidly disbelieved his identity and resurrection, and he suffered him to put his fingers into the prints of the nails. What but love the most unselfish would do this? So the disciples are to love one another. We are to help the weakest, succor the most needy, and love a brother, not on account of what he has, but what he is - a fellow-disciple. (3) His love to them was practical; it was not a mere profession or sentiment, but reality; it was perfect love. Love is not prefect till it appears in action. It is but seed in principle, but ripe fruit in action. Christ's love was active. It walked in his feet, spoke in his tongue, worked in his hands. The hands of his love washed his disciples' feet, the feet of his love walked about doing good, the eyes of his love wept tears of compassion with the two sisters at their brother's grave, and the voice of his love summoned him back to life. The care of his love asked, "Children, have ye any meat?" Every impulse of his kindly heart was manifested in a corresponding deed or word of kindness. His disciples' love to one another should be practical. Love, like faith, without works is dead. (4) His love to them was devoted and constant. (Ver. 1.) Like the sun, he shone upon them all, but with more constancy, as his love was never under a cloud, and never set, but shone full-orbed to the last, and shines still. His disciples' love should be devoted, constant, and unchangeable. II. IN ITS IMPORTANCE AND OBLIGATION. It is important and obligatory: 1. As it is the natural law of spiritual life in, Christ. This is love. It naturally arises from their relationship to him and to each other. This relationship is the nearest, dearest, and most sacred and lasting, and from each of these considerations love is the essential law, and the essential law is specially binding and important. Not to observe it is a contradiction of our real relationship to Jesus and to each other. It is a universally acknowledged law - the higher and nearer our relationship, the greater is our obligation to love and succor each other. If so, how great is this obligation with regard to the disciples of Christ! 2. As the specially expressed will of Jesus. Expressed in a positive form and in a most solemn command, given at a most solemn hour, on the eve of his departure from them, under the shadow of death and the stroke of enmity, he gave the command of love, and his express will is in perfect harmony with the law of spiritual life in him, which is supreme love to one another. The voice of the law within is echoed by the voice of the lawgiver without, "That ye love one another." 3. As it is renewed and revived by the life and death of Christ. On this account it is properly called a new commandment. (1) New in its complete expression. The first and the old edition was published on Sinai through Moses, but the new was published by Christ on his way to Calvary. He had given fragments and hints of it before to his disciples during his ministry, but the full edition is given them now in solemn command. (2) New in its perfect example. The old example was self-love: "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" but the new and perfect example is the love of Christ. He loved them more than himself. This example was wrought out towards them; it was not merely within their observation, but within their experience and consciousness. They were the immediate objects of his love. "As I loved you." Not, "As I loved the world at large, or your forefathers, but you personally and individually;" and he gave himself as a Sacrifice for them, as a matchless and perfect Example of self-sacrificing and unselfish love. (3) New in its inspiring motives - motives arising from their ultimate relationship to Christ, from his matchless love towards them, and their indebtedness to him in consequence. Christ loved them in order that they should love one another. In order to teach and inspire them to this, and in his life and death, he threw a new life and force to the command of love, that it was the experience of his followers afterwards, "The love of Christ constraineth us." The command of love was getting old and withered amid the thunders and lightnings of Sinai and the formality of the former dispensation, but it assumed a new life and vigor in Gethsemane and on Calvary. What can inspire love so well as love itself? and what love so potent and inspiring as the pure and self-sacrificing love of Christ to us? This makes the command really new and original to him, and, as a motive power, is exhaustless and irresistible. 4. As it is the outward sign of Christian discipleship. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (1) By this we can be and know ourselves that we are his disciples. Brotherly love is set forth in the New Testament as a test of discipleship - of love to God and transition from death to life. "We know that we have passed from death unto life," etc. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother," etc. Thus you see that brotherly love is a test-point, and on it depends the momentous issues whether we love Christ, and have Fussed from death into life or not. (2) By this can others know that we are his disciples. It is not only an inward proof to Christians themselves of their condition. but also an outward proof to others. Different classes of people are distinguished by different outward marks. The soldiers of different countries and their various regiments are known by their uniform. The public schools of antiquity had their public signs by which they were known. The Pharisees and Sadducees had their distinguishing phylacteries and ceremonies, and various kingdoms have their coats of arms. But Jesus of Nazareth chose as" the coat of arms" of his disciples "love to one another." "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Not if ye have this or that dress, not if ye have wealth or learning, not if ye have a long face, or a groaning tone, or a pious whine; but if ye have love one to another. A man may possess many good qualities without being a disciple of Christ. A man cannot be a disciple of Christ without studiously respecting the laws of morality; but a man may be moral in the popular acceptation of the term without being a disciple of Christ. There are moral infidels, moral atheists, moral worldlings, and even the devil himself can appear very decent and proper and assume the garb of an angel of light. He can even believe, tremble, and profess; but he cannot love, because the essence of his nature is malice, envy, hatred, and revenge. Jesus chose as the sign of Christian discipleship a thing which the devil and his followers can never do, never wish to do, viz. love. They can imitate anything, but cannot love. If we wish to be known as the disciples of Christ, we must be distinguished by that which distinguished him, viz. love for others. If we wish to impress others that we are under his tuition, we must wear the badge of our Teacher and the insignia of his school. "By this shall all men know," etc. By this they have been known in every age and country. The followers of the Lamb, as set forth in the Book of Revelation, had their Father's Name written on their foreheads; and this was brotherly love, for God's Name cannot be written with anything but love, for God is love. In primitive times their affection for each other was so intense and conspicuous that the persecuting pagans exclaimed with astonishment, "See how these Christians love one another!" What a convenient sign of Christian discipleship is this in every age and under every circumstance? When Christians were most cruelly hated and persecuted, then the truth of their religion and their union with Christ were most clearly seen by others. If they could not meet to worship, to commemorate his love, and sing his praise, they could love him and love one another; they could wave this flag from the blazing faggots, and embrace and kiss each other in the flames. "By this shall all men know," etc. It is all-important, not merely that we should realize our Christian discipleship, but that others should know it, that they may be taught to respect and obey our laws; and the most efficient way to communicate this knowledge to them is by loving each other as he loved us. Thus the most charming feature of the Master will be ever seen in his disciples. - B.T. Parallel Verses KJV: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. |
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