Paula J. L. Koch, Pastor
February 2012
LOVING OTHERS BEGINS WHERE?
Recently someone said this, “Loving God is the easy part, loving my neighbor, not so easy”. I have been thinking about this comment as I have looked again at Jesus’ time with the disciples in John 13. Immediately following Jesus’ identification of his betrayer, he moves onto to give some instructions to his disciples.
John 13:31-35
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
After sharing the comment about loving others not being so easy a friend shared this, “you love your neighbor by not criticizing them....not gossiping about them....praying for them....not being negative about them in any way to others…”
As I thought about my friend’s comment, I was reminded how often without thinking we may do the opposite and out comes a comment or a statement which doesn’t reveal the love of Jesus. Even when others have made a comment which has impacted us, too often we speak out and suddenly, we have done exactly what may have been done to us.
In the month of February we enter into the season of Lent. And through this time we are called upon to look at our lives and how we can be strengthened as followers of Jesus. One of the clearest decisions we can make is to follow Jesus in our example of loving one another. Jesus is speaking directly to his disciples in this moment, telling them to love one another. He is not telling them to love the world here, but one another. So where does the example of loving others start? With each of us who say we are followers of Jesus. The Church.
We say we love one another, but are we conscious about what we say, and how we respond in our actions? Do we pray for one another? Jesus has shown his love toward us. Perhaps now is the time for us to “love one another as Jesus has loved us” as we talk together, work together and worship together.
Often in this season of Lent followers of Jesus will fast from something, but I would challenge each of us to reveal the love of God in some way. Ask God to show you what “loving those in the Body of Christ” should look like for you. For some it will be sharing a kind word, praying through the membership list daily, sending a note of encouragement, placing a phone call, forgiving someone who may have said something which hurt you.
If we are to follow the commandment of Jesus, we need to start with our “neighbors” within the Body of Christ. When the believers in Jesus are setting the example by loving each other with the love of God, those around us will see it and respond.
Pastor Paula