"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:33-35

There have been libraries of books written about these verses by men far more scholarly than myself. But the point of this blog is to share my own reactions to these verses... Not to be a world class scholar. So that is what I'll do.

Christ has one last chance to get through to his disciples. In just a few more hours he will be cast into the drama that Judas is setting into motion. One last chance to tell his dearest friends what is really on his heart. He's going to be leaving them. He's not going to be there for them and with them much longer: the trip he is about to take is an intensely personal one... He is about to die. Knowing what lies ahead, he begins by telling his disciples what the one thing is that he wants them to remember, "Love one another".

He could have told them that they needed to obey the law... Keep the rules... Live right. But it was very simple, "Love one another." He could have said you have to go to the temple every day and worship... To become men of letters... To learn every minutiae of the law. Instead he commands them to do something that every single one of them could do, "Love one another". If it's this important that he is making this the central point of his final moments with his constant companions of three years, then, in the words of Reuben Welch, "We really need to listen".

The other thing about these verses that strike me is that the admonition to love is a command. There is no choice... There is no option... It's a requirement. That indicates to me that love is a choice. There are a lot of people in this world that I have a hard time tolerating... Let alone loving. There are people that are just plain unlovable... Unless I choose to love them. That's the key. If Christ is commanding me to love, then love has to be a choice, not a function of chemistry. The pheromone for loving others is simply to show others that I love Christ by showing them the love that He has shown me. In showing that love, they will see Him in me.

I don't have a problem loving the Lord. He has done so much for me. But, I don't have a monopoly on His love. He has loved everyone equally. So my job is to find the trait(s) in others that Christ loves about them. It may not be easy to see at first, but I'm commanded to find it. If that's the case, I had better get to know them well enough to know what that trait is.

Father, I'm not very lovable at times, but still you love me. I can be a love sponge... Soaking up all the love you have for me, but not always willing to share it. Lord, there are some people that I don't even like in this world, let alone love... And you are telling me I don't have a choice? In that case, I'd better start paying respect to the fact that you live in them as well as you do in me. That you died for them as much as you died for me. Thank you for the reminder.

- posted by Steve R. @ 6:26 AM

 
"When he was gone, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him,God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.' " John 13:31,32

This has always been a tough verse for me to understand coming at this point in the chapter. The mood has been very somber. The washing of the feet of the disciples has a note of tragedy to it... A heaviness. But now that Judas has left, the tone changes... And I finally think I can understand why! The key for me was yesterday when I said that Christ understood that Judas was setting into motion the plan that had been in place since the before the universe was created. A plan where Christ would offer His life for our sins. Just as God saw the need for the plan, Christ now sees the victory already won... And in that victory was the glorification of Christ and God over their foe, Satan.

This verse marks the beginning of the last discourse of Christ to His disciples. It's a victory shout... Even before the battle has joined. The influence of Satan (in Judas) has been vanished and a new purity restored. Now it's time to celebrate. That is why Christ can use the words "Now" and five times the word Glory and Glorified. We often use the word Glory to be lifted up or exalted. Christ in this moment sees himself literally lifted up and glorified through his death for me on the Cross... And in his death... He sees his Father glorified and victorious in the process.

Father, thank you for plan for our salvation. Thank you for sending your son on my behalf. Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to face the pain. Thank you for loving me this much. Now Father, banish the sin from the Upper Room of my heart. Purify me. Let me claim the victory through you.

- posted by Steve R. @ 6:13 AM

 
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. " John 13:28-30

It's probably around 9 or 10 o'clock at night. Judas had made his choice. He was going to betray the Christ. I'm wondering if the tone of voice Christ used was like a parent who is telling their teen-ager "You're going to do what you want anyway... So you might as well go ahead and do it!" or was it more matter of fact. I tend to think it was the latter. Christ had come to fulfill a mission... Judas was about to set everything into motion.

This verse tells me a little bit about who Judas was as a person. First, he was trusted. Judas was in charge of the money... The Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation if you will... He was more like the club treasurer, in reality. The fact that Judas was chosen tells me that he probably had has some experience with money. Other disciples could have been chosen. Matthew had been a tax collector. Peter, James and John had been independent businessmen. I'm sure there were others who had trust positions when it came to financial matters... But Judas was chosen to be the one in charge of the finances.

Another thing I learn in this verse is that Judas must have had a good heart... At least at some point in time. When he left the Upper Room, the disciples thought he was going to run an errand for the group or to give alms to the poor. No one suspected that he was going to betray the Son of Man for a pittance. His actions up to this point was entirely disconnected to his motives. Was Judas the original double agent?

Some writers try to paint the actions of Judas as an attempt to force the hand of Christ as the Messiah and to hasten the Lord's overthrow of the Romans and the establishment of his kingdom here on earth. I don't know. It could have been plain greed. Christ has said of the person that was going to betray him that is was better that he had not been born. So, wrong actions with good motives is still wrong. I'm a master at rationalization. I can justify anything! I would think that Judas was like that, too... Especially if he was trying to force Jesus into action. If this is the case, what Judas had in mind, and God's will were in opposition. How many times do I try to force God's hand by quoting scripture about being in agreement and having faith to move mountains; then ask for what I want rather than what God has planned. I do believe that we can influence God with our prayers... I just think that I'm pretty selfish about it. I guess I really am more like Judas than I thought.

Father, I don't want to try to manipulate you today... Just thank you for loving me in spite of my immaturity and impatience. Thank you for sending your Son. Thank you for having a contingency plan back in the garden when you put Adam and Eve in charge of it. Thank you for being you.

- posted by Steve R. @ 11:10 AM