As He Loves

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."
- John 15:12 -

Jesus' command to love was not a new one.  It was the manner in which to love that made it different - "as I have loved you". How has Jesus loved us?  There are many aspects, but here are a few: It is a love that initiates (1 Jn 4:19).  It is a love that does not wait to respond.  It makes the first move to reach out to another and to love. It is a love that demonstrates (Rom 5:8).  "God demonstrates his love".  It is not passive.  It is not invisible.  It is a love that is tangible - it can be seen, felt and heard.  It is described, not defined, in 1 Cor 13:4-7. It is a constant love (Jer 31:3).  It is not changed by time or tide.  It keeps no record of wrongs, and is ever ready to forgive.  Nothing can change it.  Nothing will be allowed to destroy it.  It is a love that says, "Till death do us part." It is an unconditional love (Rom 5:8).  It loves the unlovely, no, even the unlovable.  It loves despite feelings.  It loves despite the past.  It loves the one who hurts us repeatedly.  It loves the one we do not know.  It loves when there is no reason to love.  It loves freely and deeply, just as Jesus loves us. Can we truly find in ourselves such a love?  It is too high even for our mortal hearts to comprehend (Eph 3:19).  But if our fleshly hearts cannot produce such a love, Christ who lives in us can.  He can love through us.  For "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).