Jesus: The Love-Giver

John 13:34-35

Introduction

I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to tradition. On one hand, I really love tradition. It may be connected with my appreciation for history, including church history. There is so much that we can learn from the past and tradition is an excellent way of passing on those lessons. Not only is there is a teaching component, there is also comfort that is found in tradition. Tradition can be like that well-worn pair of boots that fit so nice. Innovation can feel like putting on a brand new pair that leaves your foot covered in blisters. As you may know, I am also in the army reserves and the army is as traditional as the church. There are certain things that are done just because someone started doing it hundreds of years ago and we still follow the tradition. On both the army and church side, tradition is good because it connects us to something bigger than ourselves. 

But I can also struggle with tradition because I tend to be the person to ask, “Why?” Why do we do things that way? Yes, certain things that we do are commanded by the Bible. But much of what churches do is based on tradition. Think of the songs that we do. There are certain kinds of songs that we do at Advent and others that we do at Lent. Why? Tradition. There is nothing unbiblical about doing an Advent song during Lent. What about how we do communion? You may remember that just before the lockdown, we had started doing communion every week for Lent, even though the Baptist tradition is that we do it monthly. You may have struggled with that because that is not the way we have done things before. However, breaking tradition in strategic ways can be a positive spiritual experience.

That is why I am going to break tradition once again. This time I will do it by preaching a Maundy Thursday message on the third day of Advent. Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday and it is a remembrance of the last supper and Jesus’ washing his disciples’ feet. The word Maundy comes from the Latin for command and it refers to the commandment that Jesus gave about love at this event.

Why are we looking at this during Advent? We have been looking at why Jesus was born and what he came to bring. We have already seen that Jesus was the Hope-giver and Peace-giver. Jesus was also the Love-giver and this passage is one of the best examples. We need to remember that Jesus wrapped in a towel, washing his friends’ feet began with a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

As I Have Loved You

The actual command is for the disciples to love one another. But before we look at that, we are going to look at the model for that love, which is the love of Jesus. Jesus tells the disciples that they are to love as Jesus loved them, so we need understand that love.

Even before going to that, we need to remind ourselves that Jesus was the object of love, not just from his friends but from the Father. Did you know that the Father only speaks directly twice in the Gospels? Once at Jesus’ baptism and once at the transfiguration. Listen to what the Father says at each of those events.

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)

“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7)

Jesus, who is the Love-giver, was also the recipient of love, love from the Father.

From this abundance of love, Jesus gave. But like peace, we need to understand definitions. Despite what entertainment tells us, love is not a feeling or an emotional, although there is nothing wrong with the feelings that sometime accompany it. Love is primarily action. Jesus is giving this command in the midst of washing his disciples’ feet. He could have just sat at the table and felt affection for the disciples but instead he put his love in action by washing their feet. And that was only a hint of what was to come. The very next day, Jesus would demonstrate the ultimate act of love by dying on the cross. Jesus would move from washing feet with water to washing away our sins. That is love in action.

But there is another aspect to the love of Jesus found in this passage that we could easily miss. This commandment that Jesus gives takes place between two important events. Immediately before this, Jesus predicts Judas’ betrayal and immediately after this, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial. The love that Jesus is talking about is messy love that is not always returned in the way we wish. What Jesus is going to ask of us is something that he has already experienced himself. Jesus is the Love-giver.

Love One Another

So Jesus gives us love. That sounds wonderful. But what do we do with that? How do we respond? One option is to just lay back and soak it in. And there are short seasons for us to just do that but that cannot be our permanent situation.

The commandment that Jesus gives is not to receive his love, although we should do that, but to love one another and let that love be shaped by the love of Jesus.

Is this a new commandment? The Bible speaks elsewhere about us loving one another. Earlier Jesus told us to love God and love our neighbours, both of which come from the Old Testament. What is new about this is that this command to love rises to central importance. This is to be the defining feature of the Christian.

How do we recognize a Christian? Is it by the way they dress? Is it by the political party that they vote for? Is it by their religious rituals? No, Jesus makes it clear that disciples are recognized by loving one another. The hope is that people would meet a person, see them as a loving person and thus recognize them as a follower of Jesus. This does not mean that non-Christians cannot be loving but rather Christians cannot be unloving. 

Again, this love is to be modelled on the love of Jesus, because that love is our source. It is not expected that we will feel love for all Christians. We may find some of our brothers and sisters almost unlovable. But they are not. Love is a choice. This commandment is sandwiched between the predictions about Judas and Peter for a reason. Real love is how we treat those who don’t return our love. This love is meant to be put in action.

I appreciate this statement of James, referring to those in need. “If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:16) Love requires action.

Conclusion

I would like to conclude this message with a challenge to us as a congregation. We are approaching the end of this year and about to begin a new year. There is much about this new year that we don’t know about. We definitely couldn’t have predicted this year a year ago. 

But there is something that we can now with certainty. Jesus is the Love-giver and he expects us to respond by demonstrating love.

My challenge is this: What can we do as individuals and as a congregation to demonstrate that we are people of love. That is love for our church family and love for our community. People recognizing us as disciples is not going to happen by accident, especially as many of our regular routines are disrupted. We need to be intentional in sharing the love we have received from Jesus.