¹² “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

How interesting, love as a commandment. So much has been written on it in Christian circles that a short devotional cannot do justice to this statement by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Upper Room. First, Jesus lays out the overriding task for Christians in their community with one another. Second, this love is not a “feeling” kind of love. Psychologists tell us you cannot command a person to feel in a certain way. Feelings come and go and are only indirectly controlled. Rather, this is an “agape” kind of love. It does not have the “magic” of intense eroticism (“eros” love), nor the warmth of the brotherly affection (“philos” love). Agape was a word rarely used in pre-biblical Greek, it was the Christians who popularized it. While eros seeks its own benefit and philos seeks mutual benefit, agape seeks only the benefit of another.

This kind of love can be commanded; that means it is a choice that can be consciously and rationally made. But this is not a mechanical obeisance that Jesus called for, but rather an engaging choice to put others before oneself.

And while it is true that we should love our enemies, the priority is to love other Christians first. Some might think this encourages exclusivity and narrow-mindedness. However, agape love emanates from strength and security. The love between the Father and Son was complete, and it led to the Son loving the disciples. While perfectly satisfying, it was not exclusive. The divine love within the Trinity was characterized as a reaching out kind of love, flowing from the secure perfection of love within the Godhead. So too, the love of Jesus for His disciples should flow among the disciples. It was not enough that Jesus loved them, they needed to learn to love one another. So the love among the disciples should likewise overflow in their love for non-believers, just as Jesus’ love for the Father overflowed to the disciples.

On a surface level, this makes sense. A community where people really do love each other attracts attention and invites investigation. Love is a compelling argument in favor of Christianity. Jesus had earlier spoken, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It is to be the defining characteristic that the world sees. Now on another level this makes even more sense. Imagine, for a moment, a person comes to Christ as a response to God’s love. But then the Christians are too busy loving non-believers to have time for him. No, disciples are to create a safe, secure and satisfying community of love, and it is out of this they can love the world.

Lord, help me love my fellow Christians the way You love me.