Wondrous love, II

We posed some "what if" questions last time we met here....and then we noted that we more than likely have failed at the commandment that Jesus gave us:

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Remember what we said yesterday? Those outside the church would be totally blown away if we really followed that commandment....but you know as well as I, that is not what they see when they look at believers. Sorry. It's true. Maybe for a few moments when we are on our best behavior, but not consistently. Nope.
So the unbelievers are usually quite right when they point out our faults and our bad behavior....we argue, we fuss, we complain about giving of our time and money....
Oy vey.
Epic, epic fails.
But this is not all that surprising.
Seriously.
Our hearts (before we are saved) are not geared to love as Jesus did. And even after salvation, it's a true learning curve!
Just for a moment, let's join the disciples in the "upper room." In fact, why don't we read it to refresh our memories?
Sure, go ahead. John chapter 13 -- we'll hang out here and wait for you to come back. (Grin)

Ready?
In your mind's eye, take a look around that room.  Don't pay attention to the walls, lit by the flickering lamps. Ignore the simple Passover meal on the table. Zero in on the people....
Look, there is Judas. He is going to leave here in minutes and then betray Jesus into the hands of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin. The silver is already heavy in the pouch tied into his waistband.
Oh, look, there is Peter, who will deny Jesus not once, not twice, but three separate times.
There are James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they will be asked by Jesus to stay awake and pray, but they will fall asleep repeatedly.
Look around the room at the other disciples who will turn and run in the Garden, when Jesus is arrested. They will leave Him alone to face the ordeal of a fake trial and then execution.
What if you looked around at all of these, and you knew what they would ultimately do. You knew that they would abandon you, betray you, flat out disobey you and dishonor you?
Would any of us still have the heart of love that Jesus had toward them?
Would we wash their feet?
Would we serve their meal?
Would we still LOVE them? Would we be willing to DIE for them?

I don't think I need to even urge anyone to be honest here.....I think all of us are shaking our heads. Our hearts are not geared to love in the way that Jesus loves all of us.
We wouldn't want to wash their feet, serve their meal, or anything else. Our minds would be full of the fact that soon they were going to hurt us deeply. They would soon dishonor us. Cause us emotional and physical pain.
Our human hearts wouldn't want to have anything to do with these people.

BUT.
Jesus' heart is totally different. He is being the Christ. The Messiah. The Lamb. He is showing His wondrous love....
Jesus is putting "love one another" into practice! In fact, He is humbling Himself and doing things that no "respectable" rabbi would have done. Ever. No rabbi would wash his followers' feet. It was "supposed" to be the other way 'round, and that is what always happened.
But in the Kingdom, the greatest is the least, and the least is the greatest.
And God's wondrous love is being illustrated to all of these who will fail Him in the next few hours.
Just as He shows it to us today.

More on this next time......