JOHN 13:34-35 – “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.”
THEME OF THE DAY: WE ARE KNOWN BY OUR LOVE. The following true story happened a long while ago, but its message is alive as if it happened a minute ago . . .
A heart-rending story was reported by the press, telling of a young father who shot himself in a telephone booth. James Lee had called a Chicago newspaper and told a reporter he had sent the paper a manila envelope containing the story of his suicide. The reporter frantically traced the call, but it was too late! When the police arrived, the young man was slumped in the booth with a bullet through his head. In one of his pockets, they found a child’s crayon drawing, much faded and worn. On it was written, “Please leave this in my coat pocket. I want to have it buried with me.” The drawing was signed in a childish print by his little blonde daughter, Shirley, who had perished in a fire just five months before. Lee had been so grief-stricken that he asked total strangers to attend his daughter’s funeral so she would have a nice service. He said there was no family to go to because Shirley’s mother had been dead since the child was two years old. The grieving father could not stand the loneliness or the loss, so he took his life.
Inviting strangers to a family funeral because no one else was involved in the lives of this poor and lonely family. What a shame, and what is revealed is the worst indictment that may ever be said of a Christian or a church – they don’t care, they are not loving. Granted, disgruntled people sometimes label Christians and churches as such when they are not, but woe to the Christian or church that is able to wear that label because it is true!
Today’s scripture is the believer’s identification card – a people who love. Jesus tells us it isn’t our right doctrine, theological correctness, organized services, aggressive ministries, or any other thing we think marks us as Christians and a good church. It is our love. It is His love flowing through us because it was planted in us at new birth –
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5).
Even the greatest Christian, pastor and theologian ever to live, the Apostle Paul, revealed what controlled him –
“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
Christians are known by love for people – Christians and non-Christians. The question is, “Are we?” True faith in Christ always manifests itself in sacrificial love for people. Oh, Lord, make it so among us for Jesus’ sake!
PRAYER: Father, may the love I profess to You be validated by Your love practiced with all people.
REFLECTION: To love people is the highest mark of being a Christian for God places this love in His people.