John 13:34-35
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.”
I am preaching from the same section of John that Matt did
last week. A section known as Jesus'
final discourse.
Jesus is giving his friends, their
final instructions before his arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection take
place.
This is a busy part of John's Gospel.
Matthew, Mark and Luke condensed the events before Jesus’
arrest into just a few verses, while John takes almost five chapters to tell us
about this final evening.
The evening begins very differently in John --- it starts
not with the 12 gathered around the table that we call the last supper on a
Thursday night --- but rather in John, this final night takes place on
Wednesday (so that Jesus can die at the same moment as the Passover lambs on
Thursday).
It also begins with Jesus doing
something that most of us find uncomfortable --- he washes the disciples' feet.
Have you ever been to a foot washing service and allowed
someone to wash your feet?
Most people find the idea of allowing someone to wash their
feet intimidating.
Even
Peter in the story doesn't want Jesus to wash his feet
Foot washing is:
Very intimate
It requires
us to be vulnerable
It requires
us to give up control
All
things that we like hate to do
I once asked my worship leaders about doing a foot washing
service for Maundy Thursday and instead one of them came back with a hand
washing service
I am sorry
--- it is not the same!
But that is the backdrop to these chapters in John's gospel.
Jesus is setting the stage for his final instructions
Following the foot washing, there is a brief, if spotty
story of the last supper, in which Jesus announces that one of the disciples is
about to betray him
Judas departs the scene --- to go and betray Jesus --- and
John wants to make sure we know that it is night --- darkness has settled on
Judas
The story continues:
John 13:31-33 (CEB)
When Judas was gone, Jesus said,
“Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If
God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself
and will glorify him immediately. Little children, I’m with you for a little
while longer. You will look for me—but, just as I told the Jewish leaders, I also
tell you now—‘Where I’m going, you can’t come.’
This glorification will be realized in Jesus’ death on the
cross and his resurrection.
Through these events God will be
glorified in the Christ.
And in this moment, Jesus wants to prepare his disciples for
the reality of what is about to take place and to command them to love one
another.
I have shared with you many times the other "love"
passages that are found in the New Testament.
Many of those echo Leviticus 19:18 .
Matthew 22:37-39 (CEB)
“You must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the
first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your
neighbor as you love yourself.
But here in John, Jesus gives us a new commandment --- and
yet it really isn't new.
It is present
throughout the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish tradition
It is present
in the emerging Greco-Roman world
It is a theme
of virtually every religion
John 13:34-35
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.”
But what does it mean to love?
In our biblical text there are four words for love.
Eros is the
word for sensual or romantic love.
Philia means
brotherly love or friendship.
Storge
describes the love between family members.
Which of those do you think was being used in these passages?
None of them!
John uses the word agape
Agape is the term that defines God's immeasurable, incomparable
love for humankind.
God gives this love without condition, unreservedly to those
who are undeserving and inferior
The best definition that I have found for agape is this:
"Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort,
and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return."
Listen to that again: "Agape is a sacrificial love that
voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit
of another without expecting anything in return."
I am not sure I really like that kind of love.
It seems
impossible
Loving people who agree with me, or whom I like --- is
pretty easy.
It is trying to agape those others -- that is where this
Christianity stuff becomes pretty difficult.
There is a tradition that says that John, in his old age,
would remind those around him to love one another. When questioned why he told
them this so very often, his reply would be, “Because it is what our Lord
commanded. If it is all you do, then it is enough.”
For Jesus, love did not mean a sweet sentimental feeling.
It meant
action.
It meant
actively loving -- putting one’s love into real world activities.
Last week I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico at a conference
lead by Father Richard Rohr. I know that
you are familiar with the name because any Sunday that Matt is preaching you
are certain to hear him quote Father Rohr in some fashion.
It was a very different conference than any I have ever been
before.
Generally I
go to these continuing education events for a couple of reasons.
1. Because
I am required to do continuing education each year
2. Hoping
that I can learn something that will be useful for the church
But this was different --- I
quickly realized that this was not going to put things into my
"church" toolbox --- but that this had the potential to add growth
and significance to my personal toolbox.
The focus was on how we experience the Christ in our
lives. And along with teaching time ---
a majority of our time was in worship and practice.
During one of the worship services early on, Rev. Jacqui
Lewis from Middle Collegiate Church in New York City challenged us to identify
the justice issues that we struggle with and are passionate about.
As we did that the question that she asked was: "what
are you willing to die for?"
I have been asked that question numerous times throughout my
35 years in ministry --- but for some reason --- in this setting --- in the
midst of all that is going on in our denomination and culture --- it seemed
different.
And as I wrestled during our "sit" --- fifteen
minutes or so of silent contemplation --- the word agape kept coming to me.
"Agape is a sacrificial love
that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the
benefit of another without expecting anything in return."
Do I do anything centered in agape love or am I always
expecting something in return?
Am I willing
to live a truly sacrificial life?
Does my love --- or the love I ascribe to God come with
strings attached?
John 15:12-14 (CEB)
This is my commandment: love each
other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one’s
life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I have so much work to do in my life.
But the good news is --- while Jesus calls on us to agape one
another --- God promises to continue to agape each of us.
And not only that --- through the
Holy Spirit we will know God's abiding presence
None of us have loved like Jesus call us to love --- yet we
are invited, despite ourselves to come to God's table. To be linked to God's family.
When we gather at the table, what Jesus is really saying to
us when he says "Do this" is not simply come up for the Eucharist ---
but to come in unconditional love and invited others unconditionally to come as
well.
Let me close with these words from Psychology Today
(6/25/16) in an article called: "These Are the 7 Types of Love"
Agape is universal love, such as
the love for strangers, nature, or God. Unlike storge, it does not depend on .
. . familiarity. Also called charity by Christian thinkers, agape can be said
to encompass the modern concept of altruism, defined as unselfish concern for
the welfare of others. Recent studies link altruism with a number of benefits.
In the short term, altruism leaves us with a euphoric feeling—the so-called
‘helper’s high’. In the longer term, it is associated with better mental and
physical health, as well as longevity. . . . More generally, altruism, or
agape, helps to build and maintain the psychological, social, and, indeed,
environmental fabric that shields, sustains, and enriches us. Given the
increasing anger and division in our society, and the state of our planet, we
could all do with quite a bit more agape.
We have been blessed with God’s agape love
Are we willing to extend that love to others?
"Agape is a sacrificial love
that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the
benefit of another without expecting anything in return."
Do this! --- Jesus says
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