Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure. He washed the feet of his disciples as an example of the love they should have for each other. He had endured the pain of observing Judas leave the table to carry out his plan to betray his Master with a kiss.
Then, turning to the other disciples, he spoke these unforgettable words to them:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
That same night Jesus called the disciples his friends. I can only imagine how good that felt to the disciples, to have their Master call them “my friends.” Long before I became a nonagenarian, I had begun to think of my friends as God’s gracious gift to me. I can turn the pages of every decade of my life and exclaim with great joy “Thank you Jesus!” for the names of the precious friends God gave me.
Among the many caps I have collected over the years is one with the letters FOJC on it. It was a gift from Klaus Guenzel, my dear friend from Germany. Aware that I saw my identity in the letters SJC (servant of Jesus Christ), Klaus reminded me with that cap that I was a friend of Jesus as well as a servant. O Yes! Thank you Klaus!
Second only to Jesus, my wife Dean was my best friend. What a great privilege it was to serve Jesus alongside that devout servant of Jesus for more than 68 years! Somewhere, in a collection of “Letters to God written by Children,” I found this letter from a little boy: “Dear God, the people in the next apartment fight all the time. You should only let good friends marry.” Thankfully, Jesus helped Dean and me to become the dearest of friends!
Why do you suppose Jesus said “Love one another” to his disciples? The answer is obvious. God is Love. He created us by love and for love. While there are more than 600 commandments, Jesus said the most important two are these: Love God and Love One Another. Jesus made it this simple for us: We obey him with we love each other. Love is as necessary as the air we breathe; without love there is no real life, there is only existence.
Love produces life. Elizabeth Barrett, the poet, was an invalid. Robert Browning visited her. His first visit gave her so much life she lifted her head. On his second visit, Elizabeth sat up in bed. On his third visit, they eloped and were married!
Karl Menninger, the American psychiatrist, said the most tragic word in society is “unloved.” Why? Menninger explained: “Love cures people; both the ones that give it and the ones who receive it.” He was right.
And that’s why Jesus said back then, and to us now, “Love one another.”
As Johnny Cash once said in song “Time’s a Wasting,” good friends. Let’s get busy obeying Jesus!