A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you.
John 13:34
Luke 9:20-23 (ESV)
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Last time, when we explored the topic of “love,” we concluded that for a person who is separate from Jesus, love does not really exist. Perhaps two people can desire each other, but neither therefore intends to be entirely in service to what is good for the other. Desires are focused on what is good for ourselves, and not on love. Or you can deny yourself and sacrifice yourself completely for the sake of someone else. But that too is not love, because you will have nothing to offer due to lack of self-worth. The cross in our lives, or self-denial, or co-crucifixion to let our old self put to death, is not meant to be self-destruction, but it should be the first step to renewal of ourselves.
At some point, apparently a long time before Jesus’ death on the cross, it had dawned on His disciples that He was the Christ. Jesus did not want this to be passed on everywhere, today we would say that He wanted to keep it out of the media. Otherwise something like this would lead a life of its own, news without foundation that had already lost its credibility from the start. But His disciples were shown what still had to happen first! Jesus announced to them his coming suffering, his death and his resurrection. Jesus knew all this far in advance! He would never have risked taking up his cross if he had not known about his resurrection on the third day.
Jesus also wanted to shake off his fans who stayed with him without becoming disciples. He therefore gave the bystanders the stern warning that no one could follow Him without obligation: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Followers or disciples of Jesus, who know the facts of His death and resurrection, also know that ‘taking up your cross’ or ‘denying yourself’ is not an isolated act of idealism! It is the only means by which we can ever learn from Jesus, and that is by following Him in His death and in His resurrection! This is very striking in the verses we have read! His disciples heard that Jesus had to die and be raised from the dead, and that they would be able to follow Him exactly in that. That is the meaning of the cross in our lives, it is not self-destruction but a step towards renewal!
Giving up your life, out of love for another is not eliminating yourself, but striving to become a different person, someone who is good to others, without being destroyed by it himself, but with a character that perseveres in the good, that is strong, but unselfish and that is stable and of support and edification to others. This is a character that has been freed from the reactions out of the old loveless past. Free from, among other things, jealousy and fighting for one’s own right, free from the feeling of being aggrieved or disadvantaged, etc…. Someone with such a liberated character and such an energy, will enjoy it the most himself, without, however, seeking his own advantage.
Last time, we mentioned the fact that we can only give this kind of love as we have received it for ourselves. I said then that fulfilling the commandment of love means allowing God’s code for love to function: The Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us in the same way, and He wants us to love each other in this way also. That is, not in our own way.
Our love begins with receiving Jesus’ love! That can only happen if we experience and recognize that we ourselves fail to create peace, and to be patient, kind, and loving … then the time has come to let the Lord in, to cleanse us within. If we let go of what is not right, He will absorb it in His death on the cross. The good that he himself has made but that has fallen into pieces, he will put together again, provided thorough cleaning and straightening of what has been deformed. As long as we trust in Him, we can participate in this process and experience the renewal in practice! That is experiencing the Love of the Lord! To remain in his love or to remain in his workshop of recovery means that we no longer want to live the way we used to, but that we want to let our “new self” function.
Last time, in John 15:10, we read Jesus’ statement: You will remain in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. Helpful here is what Jesus teaches in the parable of building on the rock, instead of on the sand (Matthew 7:24 ff.). Building on the rock is listening to the Lord and doing what he says. It is wanting to conform to what His commandments say, and therefore denying our old selves in order to become a different human being, of a changed character, able to love and serve others, as Jesus loves and serves us. Keeping the Lord’s commandments is to live in harmony with His character. The context in John 15 is not following the law, but experiencing love. The Father sent Jesus into this sinful and therefore terrible world, out of love! (John 3:16). In acting as the Father, so out of love, Jesus suffered the terrible fate of the sinful or broken humanity, but without sinning himself. The miraculous or divine effect was restoration or renewal in his resurrection! In acting as Jesus, with appreciation for his character, we too learn to experience love through self-surrender and faith the in renewal in Christ. Self-surrender in imitation or obedience to the Lord is not meaningless idealism, but concrete cooperation in inner transformation, in the workshop or practice of the Lord’s love.
Receiving love that leads to renewal and allowing that same love to function towards others is something we must EXPERIENCE! It is fantastic to see that you have been able to put your normal behavioral pattern aside, and that this has been replaced by patience, kindness, sweetness … and that this creates a very pleasant atmosphere of well-being and peace, and that it creates a good soil for the gospel.
It is overwhelming to realize that the Lord can truly give us what no man naturally has, but what he sings about and what he yearns for, as the solution to all needs! Love! The Lord expects His disciples, that ‘s us, to let this love work in all aspects of our lives. This cannot all happen overnight, but in a solid learning process, taught by the Holy Spirit, while we ourselves grow spiritually and therefore also mentally like a branch on the vine, Jesus. This involves keeping His word or His commandments to build ourselves and our dealings with others firmly on the Rock. So, we use God’s code of love: to receive His love and to pass on the same kind of love.
Love is both a fruit of the Spirit and a commandment. It is the essence of what the Lord gives us, and the essence of what He asks of us.
Betel Gent 