“I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other.” John 13:34-35 CJB.
Yeshua commanded that His disciples love one another…keep on… loving each other. One reason for the importance of this command was, is, that their actions towards each other would demonstrate and testify to the world, louder and more convincingly than words, they followed a master who loves His creation, protects us and provides for our well being and happiness both now, whatever the circumstances and in eternity.
That love for one another would also be a motivation for them to be obedient to Yeshua’s other command that they proclaim to and teach those outside their circle about the Good News and make disciples of them of whosoever would.
And to keep things in perspective for them,
“…he rose from the table, removed His outer garments and wrapped a towel around His waist. The He poured some water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the talmidim and wipe them off with the towel wrapped around Him.” John13:4-5 CJB.
Can you picture that? The Master… bent over, kneeling before each individual man, washing and drying his feet, with both His hands, wrapping the towel around the heel of the man’s foot, bringing it forward across the bottom to his toes, up and over the tips of them, and across the top up to his ankle, gripping both sides, firmly pressing with his fingers and thumbs the towel, to minister to the foot and to absorb the water and leave each and every foot clean and dry, an act of servitude performed in love.
The point:
“Now if I, the Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. For I have set you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you. Yes, indeed! I tell you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor an emissary greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:14-17 CJB.
To serve and to serve out of love is the point and if that’s the way the Master does it we are to do it the very… same… way…. As a brother of mine reminds me from time to time, “it’s all about the heart.”
If we have the heart of Yeshua, it will manifest itself in the way we act, what we think, what we say and how we say it. And by it we will be known to be His and draw others to Him.
As we live, share and learn from one another the prayer is that we will do so for the purpose of glorifying God and not ourselves, to bless one another, and that this Way will truly be a blessing and joy for us.
As we disciple may we do so to build up the other.
As we are “discipled” may we be accepting and grateful.
May we do both humbly before the Lord and men.
May God’s love be in us all.
Elder.