O JOY ... what an amazing weekend it was (April 22-25) at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) as I joined a team to engage in a spiritual renewal weekend called Kairos Prison Ministry. Listen! Listen! Love! Love! I asked for prayers at the end of last week's post and so I return the favor and offer many prayers of thanksgiving to anyone who prayed for us as we sought Christ in the faces of 30 women God called "by name" to experience the depth of God's love for them on this weekend. As a matter of fact, I lit a cyber-candle (#131) for you today. How appropriate that this week we study this passage in which Jesus gives us a commandment to love others as he has loved us ... each of our team members meditated on John 13:34-35 as a foundation for community team building for our very first team meeting on March 6. How cool is that? It's not too late to pray for these women! You can still join me as I continue to pray for the women of the Kairos Community at LCIW to know God's love for them. Thanks and Peace, C
John 13:31-35 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Context: This passage comes near the end of the last supper scenes and highlights what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. In the end, we find the proof of our discipleship is the way we LOVE. This is not a new concept for John (14:15, 23 and 15:10) as he connects love with obedience. This is not a new concept for the Jewish people. In the holiness code of Leviticus (19:18) God says “love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus repeats this command in Mark 12:31 as the second “greatest” commandment. Jesus declares this agape love to be a commandment entole {en-tol-ay'} which means the ethical use of the commandments in the Mosaic Law or Jewish tradition. When Jesus uses the expression “new commandment” in the context of this passage leading to the farewell discourse, we find a dual thought about the “new covenant” of which Jesus is the core.
There are three Greek words that are translated love: agape, phileo, and eros. In the New Testament two of these words are used. Agape {ag-ah'-pay} is a sacrificial and unconditional love, which urges one to value others and is expressed in genuine concern for others often regardless of the feelings one has for another. Phileo {fil-eh'-o} is an affectionate and emotional love, upon which friendship thrives as long as it works but this love can fade as the feelings fade. Eros refers to sexual love and is not used in the New Testament. Agape love is the love of God.
Going Deeper: Agape love is the defining characteristic of people who follow Christ. Agape love is a love with no strings attached. Agape love is being willing to be used by God to bring good to another person. As God calls us, are we able to put ourselves aside in order to reach out into the world with the love of God? That is what we are “called” to be. That is what we are “sent” to do. Love and obedience to God are basically synonymous in the book of John. Agape love is not a suggestion, it is a commandment!
Pondering: Human beings were created to live in a relationship with God and with one another. We were created with a dual purpose: to give agape love and receive agape love. However, most of us are better at one than the other. We may be “givers” or we may be “takers.” Neither is better. Neither is worse … We have to look below the surface to see what our motivations are and use that rubric that emerged from the holiness code of Leviticus, quoted, and used by Jesus as he teaches: Love others as you love yourself. Love others as Jesus loves you. Have you ever seen the huge elaborate crosses that people wear? It isn’t the cross that declares our discipleship, it is our behavior … the love that we show to all people, even the unlovable, especially the one who feels no love.
It takes time to develop a loving relationship with others and with God. Have you ever been the recipient of unconditional, agape love? Who was the “lover?” How did it make you feel? Have you ever tried to express agape love to someone in your life who didn’t “love” you back? Can you describe what it was like to express love with this kind of obstacle? What other obstacles can there be when we try to love others as Jesus loves us?
How would you describe the concept of Agape love to someone who had no experience of this kind of sacrificial love? What is your experience of this kind of love? Has there ever been a time in your life when sacrificial love blew you away? Who are you called to reach out to with this type of Agape love?
Prayer: The Psalms is a wonderful prayerbook …
The Psalms are filled with some of the deepest emotions
The Psalms are best heard read aloud.
Excerpts from Psalm 31 Contemporary English Version
I come to you, LORD, for protection.
Listen to my prayer and hurry to save me.
Be my mighty rock and the fortress where I am safe.
You, LORD God, are my mighty rock and my fortress.
Lead me and guide me, so that your name will be honored.
Protect me from hidden traps and keep me safe.
You are faithful, and I trust you because you rescued me.
I trust you, LORD. I celebrate and shout because you are kind.
You saw all my suffering, and you cared for me.
You kept me from the hands of my enemies, and you set me free.
Have pity, LORD! I trust you, LORD, and I claim you as my God.
My life is in your hands.
You are wonderful.
While everyone watches,
you store up blessings for all who honor and trust you.
I will praise you, LORD, for showing great kindness …
I belong to the LORD, I will show how I love God. Amen.
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