John 13:34; 15:12-17.
THIS new commandment neither threatens nor results in a curse. It belongs to the choir of the “new song” (Rev. 5:9), who themselves to a man, to a soul, are a new creation. (2 Cor. 5:17.) It comes with an authority which, they rejoice to know, is their Redeemer’s. Into His hands all things are given. (John 13:3.) It binds on them the obligation to love one another. It provides the pattern of utter self-denial to which their mutual love is to conform. It presents a new motive in that His Own love to them is their example. To their faith the command was accompanied by His Own power enabling them with new-found strength to obey, as surely as His word “Rise up and walk” brought corresponding power to the paralytic. He bids, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (13:34.) Our understanding hearts, though most unfeeling hitherto, even full of hatred like Saul’s of Tarsus, hear and take fire at the word. With us as with him, “the grace of our Lord” at our spiritual awakening “was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 1:14.) “Love one another? Yea, Lord. It is enough that Thou hast chosen these others and blessed them as thou hast blessed me. Though I never knew them before, they shall be dearer for Thy sake than my dearest. They can share my love to Thee; I can speak to them of Thee, and they to me. We can help each other to follow Thee; we can worship Thee with one heart and mind; we will vie with one another as did David’s men to fight for Thee and present Thee with Thy heart’s desire. When one stumbles we will help him, when he weeps, we will weep with him, when he sins we will pray for him, plead with him, seek to gain him for Thee.”
This command is in a special manner Christ’s.
“This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (15:12.) Emphatically, “This is the commandment that is Mine”; outstanding from “My commandments” in detail (vs. 10) though embracing them all. Other commandments, moreover, He might issue in virtue of the authority proper to a divine Person, but this was appropriate only as from the Lamb that was slain to redeem us, loosing us from our sins by His blood and making us a kingdom of priests to God and His Father. None but He at any time could have uttered the command to love, “as I have loved you,” and before this, not even He: it would have been a meaningless proclamation to a non-existent kingdom. Only He made this kingdom a reality and gave its deep and precious significance to His peculiar and paramount injunction. Truly, who is worthy to give such a command but He?
Love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13:10); all its various precepts as to human duty hang upon one, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Similarly, all the commandments of our blessed Lord for the heavenly family are summed up in this one which decrees a love among the children of God rising above the measure of self-love to His own boundless self-giving. Their new and exalted duties being thus ordered among themselves, we may surely add that the observance of all other duties whatsoever is secured. For it is impossible that those who, impelled by His love, gladly do His will in that intimate circle of favor, can bear to displease Him in their relation to others still to be won for Him.
Though the commandment to love one another is not grievous, yet
a command it is.
Necessarily so, for we are often forgetful and leave our first love. The Lover of our souls is also Lord of our souls. When we have grown cold or are discouraged by ungrateful returns for our love or hesitant because of difficulties, His “Have not I commanded thee?” will supply the needed incentive. It will act like the spur of the rider. We would not incur His frown, but remember that He walks, watchful, with eyes of fire, amidst His people. (Rev. 1)
“That ye love one another” is repeated four times in the verses which are our subject. Its incumbency upon us is urged by special considerations illustrating the twofold “As I have loved you.”
Looking on these, His friends, the Lord Jesus intimates His expectation that their mutual love will be the greatest possible. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (15:13.) He was about to lay down His life for them. This is not directly referred to, yet none can miss the allusion. It would have been out of keeping to speak now of the more wonderful love for His enemies, though each of them had once been a rebel. For they already loved Him though feebly. Also He looked on them as His sheep— “Ye are clean.” (13:10.) And again, he is speaking of His Own love as an example for them in the character of friends of one another for His sake. To lay down their lives for one another, then, should be the length to which their love should go.
His friends proved by obedience.
“Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (15:14.) Amen, Lord of all authority in heaven and on earth, Lord also of the love that passeth knowledge, help me thus to show my friendship to Thee. No other could remain friend and make such a demand of me. Sooner or later his exaction would be at fault and destroy the friendship. But Thou art God over all, blessed for evermore. Thine is the glory that excelleth of grace and power. Thine is the will that is ever good and never errs. Thine is the love that constrains. Oh that my surrender might be unquestioning, as fautless as Thy will! Let me render to Thee a friend-like and not a servile obedience, a glad and not a forced submission. Be Thy will mine, so that my body shall be a living sacrifice to prove fully in these unworthy members what Thy good and perfect and acceptable will is.”
His confidants learning the Father’s secrets.
He is not ashamed to call them His friends whom He might have kept as servants only to Himself, though best friends of each other. “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.” At this point we remember how He said (15:9) “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you.” The Father showed His love to the Son in giving all things into His hands (3:35) and in showing Him “all things that Himself doeth.” (5:20.) The Son spoke and acted accordingly (8:28, 29, 38) and in Him the Father was well pleased. (Matt. 17:5.) After the same divine model are the Lord’s relations to us in over-abounding grace. He confides everything to us which He had heard of the Father. Then follows (vs. 16) the True Vine still bearing fruit in the season of grace, but it is by means of the branches, His friends, who in His Name, and in particular and all-various petitions, ask the Father, as He did, to glorify His Own Name. Marvelous friendship! The blessed Lord leaves, as it were, the throne of rule and walks by our side or sits with us in the house (Luke 24:15, 30) to relate all the secrets of the Father that were His Own delight and meat below. He bestows His confidence that we may be followers of Him in His obedience.
His chosen fruit-bearers by prayer to the Father.
Let us think, and be very humble in the reflection, that not an aspiration had we to this friendship. “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.” (vs. 16.) What an honor so to be wrought in (Phil. 2:13) as branches in the True Vine, so to be wrought upon as tended by the Husbandman, the Father, that we should have fruit that abides and ask the Father in His Son’s Name concerning all the need. This is love indeed; not only to participate in the thoughts of God, but in awakening response, seeking grace and strength from Him, to gather in the fruits of redemption and have them even called ours. Note well, the Master is doing what He is doing by means of us; without being Master the less. He calls them who serve Him, “friends,” and tells them all His plans—everything. So when they go forth for Him, they think and feel as He and seek His aims. They ask of the Father in His Name whatever may be needful to realize these. Can a heart yearning with love to Him ask more? “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” (15:17.) Interwoven with all that went before instructing us as to the manner of His love are purposes and wishes of His concerning us. For us they are commandments. He gives them to enforce with greater weight that crucial and all-inclusive commandment to love one another. The more we enjoy His love in the reception of His confidences and engage ourselves in prayer with the need around us according to His grace, the more will we truly have this love one to another. T. D.