John 13:34-35

(Jesus said)

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

Jesus said this to his disciples in his final days. He knew he was going to be betrayed and be murdered, but he still washed his disciples’ feet and encouraged us to love one another. Let’s try to take the Godly and Spiritual image away from this scene and just picture it.

Imagine you knew you was going to be convicted of a horrible crime, knowing that there is no evidence to convict you, but that you were going to be guilty. Maybe you have been arrested prior but always found a way out. But now you know that they are finally going to prosecute you. You are now eagerly awaiting. That anxiety and fear is real, knowing that this world is out to get you and there is nothing you can do. But Jesus knew even more. He knew his friends were going to betray and abandon him. Yet he still washed their feet and ate with them.

Even your closest friends and family will hurt you. Jesus knew that, but he still washed their feet. What does that mean for us?

People will hurt you. They will harm you. Perhaps even kill you or your loved ones. Maybe they will accidentally harm you. Maybe on purpose. Regardless we are called to love one another. Both in the church and outside of it.

Here are some quotes about love.

“Where there is love, there is life.” -Mahatma Ghandi

“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” -Victor Hugo

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.” – Zora Neale Hurston

“Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold.” -Zelda Fitzgerald

Feel free to comment on how these quotes spoke to you.

Now why is this a challenging scripture. It’s challenging for the church, because (I feel) Jesus knows what people will eventually do in his name, rape, murder, steal, enslave in the name of Jesus. But he made it very simple, if you love one another, you are really my disciple. There are many Christians who “Love” God but do not “Love People.”

John reiterates this in 1 John 4:20-21

Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

With this, dear brothers and sisters, let us love those around us. Give freely, smile, and care. Keep it simple 😊. You know how love looks like, just remember the times you received it, remember how God loved you. How Jesus laid down his life for his people. How we washed the feet of those who he knew would betray him.

Love can be difficult at times, but absolutely necessary.

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all evil.

With Love,

Ayodeji Alaketu