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 of us, the subject of the “Golden Rule” is a very familiar one, to the point of being rather cliché even. In truth, it is a very old principle taken from the Bible itself. Leviticus 19:18b says, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself:”—this is the first mention of the phrase from which the “Golden Rule” was derived. We also see this same phrase repeated seven more times throughout Scripture.
We have had the completed Bible for almost 2,000 years now, and the book of Leviticus is a few thousand years older than that. So, knowing that we’re supposed to love our neighbors is not a new concept for us. Why is it, then, that Jesus says in John 13:34 that He’s giving His disciples a new commandment to love one another? Notice the second half of the verse: “…as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
“…as I have loved you…”
That is what is new about this commandment.
Most of the disciples were not scholars, but they knew the law. They knew what God had commanded about love and about how they were to treat others—just as well as they treated themselves. However, Jesus took it a step further when He said, “…as I have loved you…”
Jesus’ words “a new commandment” were not accidental because something had changed regarding the law—Messiah had come! The One who was to fulfill all the law had finally come! Up until now, God, as the great Law Giver, may have felt far off and unapproachable, His laws and standards unattainable. But now, God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, was in their very midst. They could walk with Him and talk with Him, learn from Him, and see Him perform great works. Never had God felt more real to them than during that time with Christ.
The disciples had seen Jesus minister to thousands; they knew that there was a vast difference between the way that they loved people and the way that Christ loved people. Perhaps, right then, they started thinking about instances when they had ignored or thought little of someone, only to have Christ turn and pay special attention to that same person.
After Christ’s death and resurrection, once the disciples truly understood why Jesus came, they realized the full meaning of “…as I have loved you…” Jesus was telling them to be willing to give of their very lives in love to others, to love selflessly, and sacrificially, as He had.
Christ is telling us to do the same. Are we obeying His commandment? Are we loving others only so long as they love us back or make us feel as if we are getting something out of it? Or are we willing to love anyone and everyone the way Christ has loved us all along—unconditionally? May that be our prayer each day as we seek to “Love One Another.”