Fifth Sunday of Easter
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Scripture |
John 13:31-35 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” |
Devotional |
The disciples are being instructed by Jesus before his departure; they are given their game plan for the time after he has gone. This plan called “a new commandment.” This plan includes new participants but the new participants did not come without a struggle. Peter learns about it in a dream (Acts 11:1-8) The new game plan includes not only new participants but also new territory. This is real change. Change is difficult for most of us. For a person who has lived in the same house for thirty-four years; gone to the same barber for thirty-four years, change does not come easy. I can understand resistance toward change. Do you embrace change? Quickly and easily? We should also look at Jesus’ action just before he begins to talk to the disciples about love. How can one speak about love without first demonstrating and expressing love? Jesus has washed the disciple’s feet and given them instructions about how to live their lives after he has gone. After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” Then Jesus gives them a new commandment. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” He had just finished washing the disciple’s feet. Could there be a better time to speak about love than immediately after you have shown love to someone? Albert Camus wrote: “There is merely bad luck in not being loved; there is tragedy in not loving.” “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” How do we measure up today? Do you think Jesus is beginning to push the disciples toward practicing the examples he has been teaching? There comes a time when we have to begin practicing what Jesus has taught us. The practice means change for us, just as for Peter. We remind ourselves change is not easy but necessary. Remember “there is tragedy in not loving.” |