By Colleen O’Sullivan
Jesus said to his disciples: This is my commandment: love one another as I
love you. No one has greater love than
this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
(John 15:12-13)
Piety
The way we
came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothers. (I John
3:16)
Study
As I imagine myself sitting around the table with the disciples
listening to Jesus after the Last Supper, my mind begins to wander. Jesus has been talking for quite a
while. Now he is speaking of love. “Love one another as I love you.”
I lose track of what he is saying, because I am pondering the ways in
which I have experienced Jesus’ love, too many to count. First, there is the gift of my very
existence. Sometimes I look at the stars
at night and think about the vastness of God’s creation. The outer reaches of what we know of the
universe would take billions of light years to reach. It boggles my mind to think of the size of
God’s handiwork. I feel like a tiny
speck in the grand scheme of things, yet Jesus loves me and chose to call me
into being and to give me the gift of life.
Jesus says to love others as he loves us. I wonder if I am a life-giving presence to my
brothers and sisters. Where there is
happiness, do I rejoice with my friends?
Where there is sadness, do I bring comfort? Where there is strife, do I sow seeds of
peace? Where there is need, do I share
what I have?
Jesus has placed me here on earth, knowing I am in the midst of a
created order that can supply all my needs for food, water, air, shelter,
clothing – all the necessities of life.
I am amply provided for.
But am I grateful for all that God has created or do I simply take it
for granted? Do I love my brothers and
sisters enough to use only what I need?
Do I care enough about the generations to come to leave it all in good
shape for them? Hard questions.
I am not just left to my own devices on this earth. Jesus is the cornerstone of my life. I have
never needed or wanted to talk to him that he hasn’t already been there waiting
for me. He delights in my joys. He comforts and heals me in times of trouble
or distress. He shows me the path of
life and encourages me to follow where he leads.
When he says to love others as he loves me, I wonder if I am there for
others as he is there for me. Am I truly
present to my brothers and sisters? Am I
patient? Do I listen with the ears of my
heart? Do I respond with compassion?
When Jesus says there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends, he is speaking from his heart.
He literally gives his life for us on the Cross. In his dying moments, he asks his Father to
forgive us, saying we have no idea what we are doing.
How good am I at forgiving? How
merciful am I toward others? I may never
be asked to literally give up my life for anyone, but can I put my self-interest
aside and truly focus my attention on the concerns of my friends?
Action
Spend some time today thinking about ways in which you experience Jesus’
love. Then take a few minutes to reflect
on how you share that love with others.
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