No Loopholes in Love

“I’m giving you a new commandment,” Jesus says in John 13:34.

But then in typical Christ Jesus fashion, rather than throw something new into what already was a formidable factory of Do This But Don’t Do That, he summarized.

He got to the essence of what it’s all about.

“I’m giving you a new commandment: Love one another.”

One week ago today was Maundy Thursday, and we read and heard about this in special worship services. In that same chapter of John’s version of The Gospel, Jesus even demonstrated what he meant by doing the work of a servant. Not real subtle.

“I’m giving you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another,” he said.

I preached on that last Thursday. And now here I am, one week later, haunted and convicted by that.

And by what last week’s writer in Disciplines 2017 noticed: “This commandment has no loopholes.”

“I’m giving you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” That’s what Jesus said.