Just LOVE!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”    John 13:34-35

If you are like me and have grown up in church, you have heard that verse many, many times. I've always thought it was a good verse, you know, for Jesus to say. I mean, He's GOD! He's suppose to have these great loving thoughts toward everyone, right?

Well, I had a real "duh" moment this morning while doing my devotional.  I'm not sure if I ever realized the timing of which this was said.  I'm sure after decades of going to church it has been pointed out to me, but I didn't get it. I never fully comprehended it, I don't guess, until this morning.

We had the Lord's Supper yesterday morning at church and while some churches do that weekly, we do not. When we do have it then, it is a very special time, as was yesterday morning...especially enjoyed sharing in it with my son sitting beside me (even if he did think the unleavened bread tasted like paper!). 

This morning I was led to John 13 and the beginning of the chapter itself is humbling enough...that the God of the universe stooped to wash the feet of His disciples (His friends), even the feet of those who would run off soon to betray Him. That in itself is love. I've had my feet washed by another one time and it is truly a humbling experience!  I've also had them massaged after a long, trying day or when I've been laid up after a surgery. These two examples have shown me the love of God, how else in the world could you touch someone else's feet??!!!

Well Jesus had done this for His friends and had shared in the Last Supper with them and soon after the meal is when He shared these verses on love.  The thing that really hit me this morning was the fact that Judas Iscariot had just left them. He had ran off to begin the plan of betraying Jesus and Jesus KNEW that was what he was doing. And yet still told his disciples to "love one another" and He was one that practiced what He preached!

Has there ever been a more perfect picture of love?  I've often times thought of the love Jesus had to have had for Peter, James, and John just over the fact that at the time in His life He was most anguished, they couldn't even stay awake!  I mean, would that not tick you off just a little bit? Knowing what you were about to face and your three closest friends on earth could not even stay awake? Now, looking at these verses, and the timing of them being said, wow! Never has there been greater love!

As I sit here now, I ponder the fact if the disciples that heard these words straight from the mouth of Jesus, were they able to still love Judas? Did their hearts just break for this fellow disciple that turned his back on Jesus or did they look down on him and hate him for what he did? Did they mourn his suicide? I don't have those answers, I just wonder. 

I saw a quote the other day that said something to the effect of "People will come to Christ because they know Christians. People will reject Christ because they know Christians."  Sting!!!!  How true is that? Oh may this week of Easter bring out His love in us for each other. May the world be able to see Him through our love for one another. 

Does it really matter if someone took your pew? your parking place? Talks too much? Laughs too loud? Ignores you? yells at you? won't answer your text, your phone call, your email? Oh how we have gotten so petty about the little things! And by "we" I do mean "me" as well!!  Dear friends, I honestly feel the time of His coming is so very near and there are still so many that have not made a decision to accept Christ. May they look on our lives and desire to have that love that can only come from Him!!

Have a wonderfully blessed Easter week and allow the world around you to see His love in you!