A Plank Eyed Saint

I intentionally chose a video with no pictures in hopes that you would close your eyes and really listen to this song...really hear the words.  "Jesus Friend of Sinners" by Casting Crowns.  

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13:34-35 

The Greek pronoun for "one another" or "each other" occurs 100 times in the New Testament and is common in passages regarding Christians conduct toward other Christians.  

Throughout Scripture we are told to:  

 show affection toward one another

serve one another

carry one another's burdens

accept one another

be kind and compassionate to one another

submit to one another

encourage one another

confess your sins to one another

pray for one another

don't criticize one another......and the list goes on.

How are we doing?  

It's interesting that in the passage above Jesus told His disciples that he had a new commandment for them:  to love one another.  New?  Love one another is hardly new.  The biblical command to love our neighbors are ourselves is as old as Leviticus.  And by the time Jesus spoke these verses, He had already stated that love for neighbors was one of the two greatest commandments.  So what was new about the command?  ......the rest of the sentence...just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 

At this point in John 13 Jesus' life had moved to the night of Jesus' betrayal by Judas and His last meal with His disciples.  Remember what else happened that night?  

"Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him."  John 13:5  

How did Jesus love them?  He served them humbly.  Love means humble service.  After the command to love one another, Jesus went to the cross.  He died as a willing sacrifice.  Love means sacrifice, self-giving for another's gain.  

Christ wants us to love one another within the church.  Do you object?  Are some people difficult to love?  YES.  Christians can aggravate, disappoint, boast, gossip, slander, Christians can be disloyal, Christians sin.  Did it ever occur to you that YOU might be difficult for someone to love? 

Jesus said our love for one another will be noticed.  

When we don't love one another...that's noticed too. 

Jesus viewed love for fellow Christians as absolutely necessary for His people to survive in this world, and as a vital witness to those outside the community of faith.  This is the most influential thing we can do to help lost people come to know Jesus...sadly the church has largely failed on this point.  Love gets people's attention--especially when it's undeserving.  

Jesus knows what we need.  Think about this passage of Scripture....very soon after this the disciples Master would be taken from them, their brave spokesman Peter would fail, and they would learn of Judas' betrayal--the only thing that would bring them together would be their love for Christ, and for each other.  

Refusal to love is a real danger.  It's an open door invitation for satan to enter in and cause some real problems in your life.  And inaction is just as bad.  Not loving or not doing good can lead to sin as well.  

Someone once said "The test of Christian love is not in loud professions about loving the whole church, but in quietly helping a brother who is in need.  If we do not help a brother, it is not likely we would lay down our lives for the brethren."  

It's good news then that love is from God.  We can't possibly muster up enough patience, humility, compassion, and unselfishness that we need to love well on our own--but He most certainly can and does.  Proof?  If you are a child of God keep in mind that He died for you, He went to the cross for you, knowing all of the sins you would commit, knowing you would ignore Him, and that you would lust after and create other "gods" in your life....good thing God loved us first.  He is the source of love.  

It's not easy to love other sinners.  We have expectations of how they should be, how they should love us....and when those expectations are not met-- some walk away.  Giving up at the very moment something great could have happened---GROWTH.  Aren't you glad Jesus didn't walk away from you? He doesn't give up on us.  I love that about Him, I often don't understand it, but I love it!  

I'm just a plank-eyed saint.  How about you?

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"  Matthew 7:3 

A speck.  A small little speck is your focus, instead of an awesome Holy God?  Really?  You have to really look to see a speck.  You have to intentionally look to see a speck.  Is that what we are doing with one another?  ENOUGH.

Christ says love one another.