John 13:1- 17, 31b-35
Love – As I have
Loved You
Maundy Thursday takes its name from
the commandment that Jesus gives to his disciples on this, the final day of his
life. “Maundy” is the middle English
pronunciation of the Latin word for “commandment.” Jesus calls it a “new” commandment. But it really isn’t new. It is the heart of so much of what he has
said and lived during his time among us.
Maybe he calls it “new” because this
is he wants his disciples to remember, and to do, above all else. Jesus
says to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one
another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another.”
This is the commandment (the maundy) for which this Thursday is
known.
“Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should
love one another.”
Earlier in his ministry, when asked
which of the previous commandments ought to be considered the “greatest,” Jesus
lifts up love of God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Jesus is careful to root this “new
commandment” at the very heart of what God’s people have been about from the
very beginning. Here, on the last night
he will spend with his disciples, he returns to the same theme. He instructs them that what he expects of
them is that they will love. That they
will love as he has first loved us.
To follow this to a conclusion, two
points need to be made. The first has to
do with the way Jesus loves. What is
meant when he says, “Love, as I have
loved you”? The second point is to ask
the question (the painful question) of whether it can truly be said that we do
emulate this love.
First point - the love with which Jesus
loved is a love that is giving and self-sacrificing. Let’s remember that as he spoke these words,
Jesus is just hours from being betrayed into the hands of those who would
orchestrate his death. This is the model
he gives us for loving.
And we see this model, not only on
Good Friday, but throughout his life and ministry. Remember the Gospel accounts of Jesus’
attempt to withdraw from the crowds. He
tries to get away, to a quite place. He
travels across the sea only to discover that the crowd has rushed around the
shore in order to be there when he reaches the other side.
It was only two Sundays ago that we
read of Jesus’ decision to return to Bethany, even though the crowds there were
looking for ways to silence him. Thomas
(sometimes called “Doubting Thomas”) captures the seriousness of Jesus’ love in
saying, “Let us go and die with him.”
The love with which Jesus loved is
selfless and self-sacrificing. He gives
all that he has.
I think about this, whenever we
have to work so hard to line folks up for a service project. St. Michael seemed to have covered all of our
shifts at last fall’s pumpkin patch. But
the overall response was so low that the patch won’t happen this fall. Homelessness has not gone away in Greenville –
we have simply emptied out the areas were so many were setting up illegal
shelters. What this congregation does
though backpack buddies is impressive, but where is the activism with regard to
the underlying causes of poverty?
We are tired; and we are
overworked. And the thought of doing
even more might be the thought which shoves us too close to our limits.
But how much of this exhaustion
comes from the tasks which advance our own careers or aspirations? Are our schedules full because we are seeking
ways in which we can be of serve to others, or are they jam packed with the
drive to acquire more and more stuff?
The love, with which Jesus loves,
leads him to the cross. Are we willing to
follow where he has lead? Seems doubtful when we can’t even get a
handful willing to sacrifice a Saturday a month in order to work on a Habitat
house.
I don’t mean to overlook or to
ignore the sacrificial acts performed on behalf of family members. So many of you are caring for ailing spouses
or parents. There is great attention
given to the raising of children. Such
self-giving acts are certainly a reflection of the love with Christ has first
loved us. We do reflect the love of
Jesus when we provide care for those to whom we are intimately connected. The concern is whether the circumference of
our circle of love ends there.
In a separate biblical story, a
young man tries to justify his narrowing of the circle of care. He asks Jesus to define “neighbor.” In that story, Jesus makes it clear that
neighbors are not simply those who own the house next to us or sit beside us in
worship. Jesus speaks of neighbor as
anyone we encounter – especially someone who is in need of our help.
We do a pretty good job of loving
those whose lives are connected to our own.
It is admirable and honorable to take care of and protect one’s
family. And no one is more popular than
the guy next door who helps us blow our leaves, collects our mail when we are
out of town, and comes over to ask snoopy questions when a stranger shows up at
a time when we are away. But the circle
of Jesus’ love is much wider. He has
compassion on all those whom he sees. He
cries over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
He dies for the sake of all creation.
I am coming to the conclusion that
it is easier to follow the command to “Preach Jesus” than it is to follow the
command of Jesus. It is simple to
believe in our hearts and confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord. What is hard, what is trough, what really
divides the sheep from the goats is when it comes to loving one another with
the love with which Jesus has first loved us.
The difficult question, the tough question, the question which
embarrasses us is the one which asks whether we are offering to others the love
with which Jesus has first loved us. It
is easy to say we love the Lord. It is
another thing all together to love doing what it is that our Lord did.
Jesus says to his disciples, “I
give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should
love one another.”
Amen
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