February 7, 2016
Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:19-21; John 13:34-35
19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Questions for Reflection:
When we read these verses, if you’ve been tracking through this study, you might be like me and thinking, “Okay! We get it! We’re suppose to love others.” Why does John keep repeating this command to love our brothers? If you’re a parent, why do you find yourself repeating instructions to your kids? If you’ve ever taught, coached, interacted or tried to lead children, you find yourself repeating the same thing over and over again. Why? Because children tend to forget.
John’s church was locked in a battle for identity and purpose. The division that was happening was breaking the hearts of individuals, ripping families apart, causing pain and hurt to be multiplied. John wanted his church to remember, in the midst of the conflict, that they were to love one another. Andy Stanley in a sermon addressed the radical nature of Jesus’ command that John first recorded in John 13.
This radical, self-sacrificing love was an identifying mark of the early church. The vision of Jesus that John carried forward into the early church was a people that demonstrated radical love. Gary Burge in his commentary on John’s letters writes, “John envisions Christian believers who are so completely healed inwardly that reconciliation within the community is a natural byproduct of spiritual maturity.” John wanted his church to lead the way in loving others.
As followers of Jesus, how can we lead the way in our community in loving others? As people come to into our buildings to worship God or explore faith for the first time, how can we create an environment where they can experience the love of God? How can we reach those in the margins of our society and demonstrate this radical, life-altering love? Spend time in prayer today asking God to help you identify those opportunities and then to give you the willingness to act in those moments.