John 13:34

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” 

John 13:34 

The Greek word used here for new implies freshness, the opposite of unworn. In the Old Testament ,the law boiled down to two things, loving God above all else and loving your neighbor. So Jesus isn’t giving a new commandment but rather building on what was already said in the Word of God, He merely gives it a deeper meaning and a higher calling.

Jesus raises the standard of love, to “love one another as He has loved you.” He doesn’t tell us to love one another how we want to, by the world’s standards, when we feel like it, how we feel like loving each other, or only when it is convenient. But rather He calls us to love one another as He has loved us. We have to reflect on His attributes and how He defines love; that is how Jesus calls us to love. May we hold on to this calling reflecting Him, showing the world what genuine love looks like. 

For His Kingdom, 

Alex Alfaro