"Get It Right"

From the upper room Jesus takes his remaining time with his disciples to give them a “new” commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The setting for this is remarkable as Jesus gives this command right after Judas left the room. By example and by his words, Jesus emphasizes how totally important it is to love.

            Most of us know someone who always seems to say or do the right thing in a given situation. Whether it’s an encouragement to a young athlete who tried hard but not won, or to someone whose child has gone off on their own to make their way in life or to a person who has lost their spouse of many years, this individual somehow knows how to share in the situation without making things worse. And in times of joy and happiness, such a person can add to both without taking the spotlight away from the one who is celebrating. One of the remarkable things at work here is how this person makes you feel loved and appreciated.

            If you have known people like this, you are fortunate indeed. In fact, you may have wondered how they do it — and do it with such ease. You could ask them, of course, but they may not be able to put into words what they do. Better yet, watch them as they interact with you or others. You will most likely see love in action.

            Our scripture today shows Jesus putting this all into action ... doing first, explaining second and giving a new commandment third.

Love in action

            Bible scholars often divide the Gospel of John into two main sections (plus a prologue in the opening verses of the first chapter and an epilogue in the last chapter). The first main section is often called the “Book of Signs.” Those 12 chapters present the “signs” pointing to who Jesus is. The first sign is changing the water to wine and the last of the seven signs is raising Lazarus from the dead.

            The second main section of John’s gospel — chapters 13-20 — is often called the “Book of Glory,” which starts in the upper room — where the action of our reading for today takes place — and ends with the resurrection. The 13th chapter begins, “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”1

            How did Jesus demonstrate that love? It began during supper. He arose from the table, took off his outer robe, took a towel and basin of water and began to wash his disciples’ feet. He washed Judas’ feet. He washed Peter’s feet. He washed them all: Love in action.

Explanation

            That brings us to our passage for today, which begins by saying, “When he had gone out ...” This refers to Judas Iscariot departing from their gathering after Jesus essentially gave Judas permission to do what he’d already decided — to betray him. Can you imagine Jesus’ thoughts at that time? Jesus was the only person in the room with the whole picture of what was about to happen. With Judas’ departure, the events leading to the Cross were gaining speed. “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ... Little children, I am with you only a little longer.”

            Jesus knew what awaited him, and he knew his disciples were about to be tested like never before. How could they endure? Was there anything Jesus could do to encourage them and prepare them for what lay ahead of them?

            It might be helpful to think about the things Jesus did not say to his disciples in the upper room that day.

            He did not give them a pep talk. Knowing how hard everything was about to get for them, he could have given them a “coach’s pep talk.” But he didn’t.

            Jesus could have said to his disciples, “Be sure to stay true to the doctrines I taught you.” But he didn’t.

            He could have said to them, “Pray hard every day.” But he didn’t.

            Jesus could even have said, “Watch out! It’s going to get hard out there!” But he didn’t.

            What Jesus did was to give them a new commandment.

A new commandment

            “Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 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 love one another.”

            “Love one another.” That, along with loving God, is the essence of Christianity. It seems so simple. And it is simple some of the time.

            Loving your children, your spouse, your parents; usually simple to do ... except when it isn’t. We can all come up with instances, and probably memories, when loving family members was not easy. There is a story that’s made the rounds on the internet about a father who was driving, and his young daughter was in the front seat. (I know, kids are not supposed to be in the front seat.) The father looked over and his daughter had undone her seatbelt and was standing up in the car. After telling her nicely, and not so nicely, to sit down and put her seatbelt on, she finally did it. Then she said to her dad, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!” But, of course, Dad still loved her. Most parents have stories like that.

            Truth be told, most of us also have memories (from long ago or from this morning) when we did not find any way to love someone at all, let alone to love them as Jesus does. When you consider how evil people can be, and how treacherous they can act, and the misery inflicted on other people, you begin to wonder if Jesus gave an impossible commandment.

            Add to that the emotional investment we make when we love someone, and the risk of rejection when we love; sometimes it’s just easier not to love than to take the chance of getting hurt.

            But Jesus did not say, “This is my suggestion.” He said, “This is my commandment...” And he added, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” But can we do that?

            Can the little girl I mentioned be commanded to “sit down in her ‘insides’?” Most of us at some point in our lives have had to give a forced apology, or we may have spoken an “I love you” through clenched teeth to someone close to us. Those things may not feel like love, but Jesus’ command is more about what we do than what we feel.

            Can we really be commanded to love? Many of us would say, “No, that’s not possible.” The great Christian writer C.K. Chesterton once said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”2 So maybe it’s not realistic to even try, we might want to say.

            Except that Jesus told us to do so. So, we are to love one another as Jesus loves us. Not a suggestion. Not, “I’ll try sometime if I have time, or if it’s not too much trouble.” It’s one of the last things Jesus said to his disciples, and so it is important for us. It’s Jesus’ last, best commandment, and it is for all of us.

Getting it right

            A church in the Midwest was doing their annual Fall book study in their small groups and the pastor’s sermons went along with the study. They used the book, The Art of Neighboring,3 which is based on the premise that the Great Commandment — love God and love your neighbor — is not optional. All of us have the command to love one another, and that certainly includes our neighbors.

            During one sermon based on ideas from this book, the pastor said, “Look across the street. Do you even know that person’s name? When was the last time you spoke to him or her?” That question struck a nerve in “Bill,” who’s a college-educated man with a good job. Apart from his job, he is currently working on a PhD in ministry because it’s a passion he has. After the sermon, Bill came to the pastor and spoke about “Susan,” his neighbor across the street. Several years ago, they started bickering with each other over some minor property issue. The police were called more than once (although no violence occurred, and no arrests were made). The result was that they each stayed on their own side of the street and ignored each other.

            And then the sermon about going across the street and showing Christian love came into play. After a good talk that lasted quite a while, Bill decided he needed to take steps. He became convinced that his anger toward her was hurting his relationship with her and his relationship with God. Two weeks later, Bill came back to church a different man. “It was amazing!” Bill said. “I don’t know that we will ever be best friends, but we both realized that we are bigger and more important than this issue.” They are talking and being good neighbors.

            I think God is pleased with that outcome. It doesn’t always end up as we wish, but it’s always worth the effort. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

1 John 13:1.

2 www.chesterton.org/the-christian-ideal/.

3Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon, The Art of Neighboring (Baker Books, 2012).