Love to the End - Day 149 Month 5-29 Week 22-2

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)


Joshua 6:1-7:15, Psalm 119:73-96, Jeremiah 3:15-26, John 15:12-16:4

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%206%3A1-7%3A15%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A73-96%2C%20Jeremiah%203%3A15-26%2C%20John%2015%3A12-16%3A4&version=NASB1995


Love to the End


“Greater love has no one than this, that one lays down his life for his friends.”  Jesus' instruction to them in the verse before is “this is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.   We know that in the next few chapters, we will once again read about Jesus' death and resurrection where Jesus lays down his life for the world.  Jesus lays down His life for His friends!


Jesus clarifies what he is referring to as friends.  He says “you are My friends if you do what I command you” and “I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard  from My Father I have made known to you.”  Jesus makes it clear that to be His friends we must love each other and He has revealed to us the truth of the Father (God).  


Jesus has now made clear 3 commandments about love that He expects us to maintain.


  1. “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37)”

  2. “Love Your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:39)”

  3. “Love one another, just as I have loved you (John 15:12)”


As Jesus followers, not everyone is called to lay down their life for their friend, but we are to love our fellow Jesus followers to the point of death.  So we are not going to be let off the hook.  We are to love God, love others, and love each other.  This does not seem like a bad thing.  Unfortunately, there are those who will hate us.  They will hate us for many reasons and if we speak the truth of Jesus, it will make some people self conscious.  The comfort in this is we are in great company.  If they hate us, they actually hated Jesus before hating us, and Jesus is our friend.  Over the years, Jesus followers have been murdered, burned at the stake and crucified.  They have died for their faith in Jesus, and for their friends.


In the movie Hacksaw Ridge, a true story, the medic Desmond Doss, played by Andrew Garfield, risks his life to save others in World War II.  In fact, he refused to carry a weapon and was the first conscientious objector to be awarded the medal of honour.    He risked his life and saved 75 people, both allies and enemies.  This was all on account of his faith.  Desmond recognized his role in the commandments of Jesus and he was unpopular (and really persecuted) by the army for not being willing to carry a weapon.  He put his love for God above everything else.  


Isn’t that really what Jesus is asking us to do.  To love God over everything that in turn causes us to love others?  Sometimes, it’s to the point of physical death.  I may or may not ever be called to die for my friends, but I can choose each day to live for Jesus and to love others the way He loved me. Maybe that’s where it starts.


Have a great day!

Steve

steve.d.pauls@gmail.com


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