- Read John 13:31-35, where Jesus gives the New Commandment to love. What is stirred within you when reading and reflecting on this passage? What does it mean to love in the way Jesus shares? Spend time meditating on the love of Jesus.
This passage is the Gospel lesson for Maundy, or Holy, Thursday, the night when we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples. We call it "Maundy" from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. In this lesson, Jesus gives a new commandment to his small group, his closest friends: to love one another just as Jesus loves us.
I am filled with awe and joy when I read this passage. I also am touched with repentance and seek forgiveness because of all the ways I do not love others as much as Jesus loves me: selflessly, unfailingly, fully, eternally. I think of how our lives would be completely transformed if we spent just one day loving every person we meet like Jesus loves us. Imagine if we loved our children and family members with endless compassion and grace. How would our places of work or our schools be changed if we spoke with every person in gentle, loving tones?
A small group is so important because in that relationship of trust and understanding, we can model Jesus' love for each other and we can try out what it means to love and to be loved like Jesus. What does it mean for you to follow this new commandment?
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