John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Whether we remember them all or not, each of us are impacted by the Ten Commandments: Christians, non Christians, atheists, agnostics, Jews, Gentiles, everybody. God’s Commandments are permanently etched in our collective consciousness. They form the basis for civil society, morality and human interaction the world over. No matter if you actively serve God or not, anyone and everyone that consider themselves decent and responsible human beings, embrace the tenants of the Commandments. But those of us that are His people, (the called, appointed and anointed) not only embrace the laws and Ten Commandments, but are under (what I’m calling) the new and all encompassing, Eleventh Commandment.
Please note in the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded giving his disciples a new law to live by. While this law in no way overshadows, or negates the power and purpose of the Ten Commandments, it heightens the profile and position of the believer. While all humanity are children of God, those of us that follow Christ are uniquely called to be ambassadors of the love found only in Jesus Christ.
The love of Christ is not the starry eyed, emotional love we generally associate with interpersonal relationships. The love of Christ is spiritual. It’s not a feeling, or something that can be expressed in words. The love of God through Christ Jesus is born out of selfless acts of kindness to others without any expectation of reciprocity. That’s exactly what God did for us.
We are reminded of God’s outstanding love in John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. There’s no repaying God for his outstanding love. There’s no reciprocal action we could ever engage in that could “even the score”. Gods opened wide the door for eternal life for everyone. This is love personified. Jesus accepted his calling and his fate. And through him we have inherited life, and life in abundance. This is love personified.
Now it’s our turn. The Commandment of Christ to his followers couldn’t be any clearer. And his example even more so. We have no option but to intimate his love, his character and his selflessness if we are to truly be identified as his disciples.
By nature our spirits seek justice, parity, fairness, acceptance, respect, kindness and common consideration. All these things Jesus came to establish. The Lord agrees, but it must be achieved in his loving way. Humanity seeks reciprocity. Fair exchange is no robbery. Our flesh determines, and demands that when the scales of justice are not calibrated correctly, the recourse to receive our just reward is through retribution. So when Jesus suggest we turn the other cheek, and pray for those that despitefully use us, our flesh can’t understand that. No! I got this Jesus. I know exactly how to remedy this situation. But that’s not his way. Love demands selflessness beyond anything our flesh can imagine. Love requires strength we just don’t naturally have. And that’s the living testimony of a born again believer. That’s how the world identifies disciples of Christ.
Dear Children of God, what the Lord is asking from us is not hard. It’s impossibly hard. Nothing in our DNA desires to voluntarily surrender our pride, strength, ego or reputation. Especially when we know we can win. But that’s exactly what Jesus is asking this morning. He’s looking for soldiers strong enough to forsake all for the Kingdom. Disciples disciplined enough to love when everything in you wants to retaliate. Followers that follow the Eleventh Commandment.
God Bless
