Thanks be to God for His indescribably gift. II Corinthians 9:15
Dear Ones who love the Lord Jesus,
I hope this season is lifting you up rather than producing heart calluses. My heart was soaring this morning reading the Gospel of John and I was reminded men put in the chapter divisions. It is natural to stop at the end of a chapter for it gives an exact place to begin reading again. I like to go back a few verses into the previous chapter for contextual unity. Chapter 14 does not begin in verse one, but is a continuum of the Lord’s supper recorded in chapter 13. It was here I found something priceless. I so enjoy discovering 'connects' in His word! I define this as a 'Love' chapter! Love spoken, Love promised, Love demonstrated, Love incarnate washing dirty, smelly feet.
In John 13:1 Jesus knew His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father and then something precious is added in the narrative: ‘having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. He will so love us. He is the same faithful God yesterday, today and forever. These words were followed by a description of Jesus humbling Himself, removing his outer garment and washing the smelly, dirty feet of His self-centered, disciples who were just arguing about which of them was the greatest! His suffering was just ahead of Him and He encouraged His followers that He would be glorified and He gave these men, who were teethed on the Law of Moses, (10 commandments) a new commandment. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34
The answer to their self-occupation was to love one another. Not just 'love each other' but get to the truth of what it means to love. Jesus said 'love as ‘I have loved you’. This changes our normal perception of loving and we must conclude He is asking the impossible, unless we take up our cross and follow Him we can never love as He loved. To love His way is to reveal Him to a lost world as Savior of all. He challenges them saying, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (14:15) This connects directly to verse 34 in Chapter 13 and the new commandment He gave them and indirectly refers to their pride revealed earlier.
I think Jesus was saying this to the disciples?
'If you truly love Me you will lay down your pride and serve others. You will stop arguing and maneuvering to promote yourself and instead become servant of all. To love Me you must love others.
To love God with all our heart means to obey His word and willingly have fellowship with Him. It means to sigh after and long for Him. How false is a love that takes no pains to go and see One it loves! ff
To love God with all our heart means to obey His word and willingly have fellowship with Him. It means to sigh after and long for Him. How false is a love that takes no pains to go and see One it loves! ff
When I tell God I love Him with all my heart, am I embracing my cross or just using words I have been taught?
The Lord loved to the point of laying down His life for us. Do we love Him according to His example? Let us cry out to Him for the impossible that He will love through us. Life will stop being about our being loved and become about Him loving others through us. John speaks much of love and it is interesting that he ends the Gospel asking Peter, "Simon do you love me?" three times. Kneeling put your name in place of Peter's listening as God ask you “Do you love me?”.
That best portion of a good man’s life are His little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. Ww
There is a wonderful happiness in being loved, we all know it; but the further we go on, the more we know that what matters most is not to be loved but to love. ac
God did not begin strong and then become weary of loving and say: “I quit, this was a big mistake!“ He did not begin with me like a pot on the potter’s wheel and when I became marred walk away. He already knew I was a hopeless case, found wanting and cracked beyond repair, unfix-able! His plan all along was to rescue me with His love and grace; giving me a new nature and eternal forgiveness. There is no greater gift.
God did not begin strong and then become weary of loving and say: “I quit, this was a big mistake!“ He did not begin with me like a pot on the potter’s wheel and when I became marred walk away. He already knew I was a hopeless case, found wanting and cracked beyond repair, unfix-able! His plan all along was to rescue me with His love and grace; giving me a new nature and eternal forgiveness. There is no greater gift.
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
We need to trust all that God’s love gives and all that His love withholds. What a privilege to be a vessel He willingly pours His love through. It will have a ripple affect and who can say where it will go and whom it will touch. I believe the world has yet to see what God will do through one wholly surrendered, crucified life.
Abba, Daddy, You who defined Love on earth, You, the indescribable gift of God, revealed what love is to a harsh, self-inflated world. I so need Your love to remake me and refine me and fill me to serve the way You have planned. I want to love You perfectly but cannot. Enable me to embrace and live the eleventh commandment by Your Spirit in me. You are Strength to lay aside my pride and enable me to serve loved ones and those You bring into my life. I am so quick to be self-centered. Help! When I do not take up my cross and reckon myself dead to self and sin I make life about me. Forgive me and cleanse me. I want to remove all that hinders and be filled with Your Spirit for only You can live this love-life through me. I bow and fix my eyes on the Cross. Imprint on my heart what it means to love as You loved Jesus, in Your most holy Name I pray. amen
Merry Christmas, a blessed Holyday,
az
