Daily Scripture Threshing for Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Today’s Text: John 13:31-35
Key Verse: John 13:34 (NASB): “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
I remember visiting my dad on his dying bed at the hospital. It was a sacred moment and every word from his mouth was taken as such. I can never forget that moment and everything that happened on that day. The sense of his imminent separation from me made every word he said to carry a different weight to me. This is probably the same feeling our Lord's words in today’s text left the earliest apostles with. Every indication pointed to the fact of His impending departure from them. And like a father who is so fulfilled and is ready to depart, Jesus fondly addressed them as 'little children' — a way to show them just how He feels about them and the authority of His words to them as He departs.
An attitude of mutual love for the brethren is not optional. It is a command. As such, it must be a demonstration of continued obedience and allegiance to Jesus Christ as our Lord and father. It must demonstrate our continuing love for Him; as well as a show of gratitude for His love for us. Jesus regards this as a 'new commandment' because it sets a major deviation from our sense of relational love for neighbors, friends, and family, which we have all been familiar with as did the Jews. He sets a new scope, a new object, a new motive, passion, power, and a new measure of love different from what we are familiar with or comfortable with. He wants each one to be able to genuinely and passionately love everyone else whether they are our neighbors, friends, and family or not. Unfortunately, we claim to be God’s new people; but, His new commandment, we are unhappy to keep.
Years in and out, we observe St. Valentine’s Day, claiming to celebrate love; but do we fulfill Christ’s law of love? Or do we suppose that Christ’s love is sentimental, prejudiced, racial, and skewed? Oh no! Christ's love is for all people. His sacrifice is for all humanity. Not only does He command us to love one another; but He commands us to do so just as He has loved us. Only by so doing can we claim or demonstrate that we have received the loving heart of Jesus Christ, and have been changed into the same likeness. This is the law of love: our pattern, pathway, prized-motive, and power for obedient living.
Quote for the Day: “Our world becomes a better place when we all become obedient to Christ’s command and spread His gift of love in the world. More people will feel the love of Christ, yield to Him as Lord, and also spread His love to others.” (Simon Olatunji)
Prayer: Dear God of love, please grant me the spirit of love and compassion; so that I may genuinely love and help all fellow souls regardless of their needs or person! Bless me with your true Love O God, and make me Your ambassador indeed — in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.
With all my love and prayers,
Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.
Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)
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[Daily Scripture Threshing is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA distributed for free use by individuals, small groups, families, and Christian churches]
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