If we are accused of being Christians, will our actions
prove us guilty of that charge? Last month I wrote a blog trying to come
to grips with the teaching of Jesus about forgiveness.
Peter asked Jesus, “‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to
him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matthew
18:21. And, in His early teachings, Jesus reaffirmed that we should love
our neighbors as ourselves.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear that, at the Last Supper,
Jesus amplified that teaching when He said, “I give you a new commandment: love
one another. As I have loved you, so you are also should love one
another. This is how all will know that you are my disciple, if you have
love for one another.” John 13:34-35.
How do each of us live up to this reading and this new
commandment? Jesus says that love for one another will be the way we are
known to be disciples of Him. Not by our words will be known as
Christians but, primarily, by our love for one another. So, as to this
love for one another, Jesus sets a really high standard for that love.
Not just in the prior Judeo teaching of measure as we love ourselves. But,
the measuring bar is raised in this new commandment to the level of loving one
another as He loved us!
In the measurement ‘as we love ourselves,’ we would not
sacrifice ourselves for ourselves, would we? In the new commandment, on
the eve of His suffering and death, Jesus is giving us the measurement for
loving each other to be as He loves us. He, then, goes on to his
suffering and death on the cross for us. So, under this new commandment,
we should be willing to love one another even to the sacrifice of our
lives. Are we really really ready, willing and able to live up to this
commandment? In light of this new commandment Jesus gives us at the Last
Supper, the standard for forgiveness that He gave us and His prior reaffirmance
of Jewish teaching of love for one another seem small and paltry. It can
simply but humorously be viewed by the joke about who sacrifices more for
us for our breakfasts - the chicken or the pig? The chicken just gives us the
eggs but the pig gives his life so we can have our ham or bacon with those
eggs!
The reality of this new commandment is its difficulty to
live and to deal with people who have wronged us and for whom we have held or
still do have long-time grudges. We can humorously think that it was easy
for Jesus because, after all, He is God! But, it is Jesus who proclaimed
this new commandment on the eve of His suffering and death for all of us and
for our sins. Tough gig, isn’t it. He didn’t not give any
exceptions for neighbors who do or say things we do not like. It is a
broad, universal command by Him.
Going around preaching how much we love Him, praying to Him,
and telling other people to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior is meaningless
unless we are first convicted as Christians by our own actions of loving each
other as He loved us in his new commandment. This sure tests our
commitment to Jesus - will we only go part way and just donate eggs or go all
the way in order to fulfill his charge to us? Remember, also, Jesus
did not say this was a new suggestion. He said it was a new commandment.
Pray for me in my quest to succeed in loving you and
everyone by this standard in the new commandment and I will pray for your
success.
Now, you know what I think and I would very much like to
know what you think about this.
Let the light of our Lord shine upon you!
Ray Makowski, Co-Founder, Director and Secretary-Treasurer