A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34).
For many years John 13:34 confused me. There was nothing new about the commandment to love. God had commanded His people to love from the beginning. In answering the question about the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus said it was to love God with all your being and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-38).
However, a careful reading of the Lord’s words here in John 13 reveal what is new about this command. Love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. No more do we love our neighbors as ourselves, but as He loves us. Sacrificial love. Never-ending love. It is a love that is willing to forgive, even when you have been injured. It is a love that is willing to do good for those who are my enemy. It is the type of love that He showed me (Romans 5:8).
The book Meditations Of My Heart (from which this daily devotional is taken) is available / can be ordered from Sain Publications (931-363-6905 or email psain@sainpublications.com).