In our gospel readings for the Third Sunday in Lent, Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for his own departure from this world. And along with announcing the Father's gift of the Holy Spirit to teach them, Jesus also gives his disciples a new commandment. It's a straightforward commandment, it's easy to interpret, and there's not a lot of wiggle room or grey area to worry about. It's a commandment that makes great sense in the contrast of the hatred of the world. It's obvious why Jesus has given this commandment, and it is easy to see why it's in our best interest to obey it. Jesus' new commandment is: “love one another as I have loved you.” And the only problem with this commandment is that it is unfortunately, impossible – except for the person who gave it to us....
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.” Just in case it isn't clear what Jesus intended by the word “love” in his commandment, here he makes it black and white. To love one another as Jesus loved, means to be ready and willing to die for one another. And who is “one another”? Does this commandment say to be ready to die for just those people who are OUR friends? Or does it apply to all of JESUS' friends? Because some people who are friends of Jesus today are total strangers to us. Should we be ready to die for them?
If only Jesus had commanded, “Love GOD, as I have loved you.” God at least deserves our love. But instead, we are to show our love for God our parent, by loving the child – ALL of God the Father's children. We are to give of our lives freely, bearing fruit that will last in the lives of others, even to the point of death – just like Jesus did – perfectly.
To be fair, there are certain groups that come close to fulfilling this commandment. Soldiers are prepared to die under enemy fire for the sake of others. Emergency workers are prepared to die in the attempt to save others. And parents, in general, are prepared in the course of raising their own children, to protect them with their lives if necessary. But even for soldiers, emergency workers, and parents, there is an element of self involved: there's a sense of identity, in other words, a desire to be able to think of yourself as self-giving; or there's a sense of pride, in other words, a desire for others to think of yourself as self-giving. And this element of self interferes with the joy that Jesus intends for us to have by obeying this commandment.
Because this commandment can be fulfilled in only one way – by abiding in the vine that is Jesus. It is Jesus who chooses his disciples, so there is no room for personal pride. And it is Jesus who shows love to the other person through his disciples, so there is no room for self-identity. Jesus directs his disciples, and gives them the impulses to reach out to one another, and it is his love abiding within that is willing to die for them. Jesus bears the burden of this commandment, and he makes the sacrificial love possible for his disciples to show, which is the most effective form of testifying.
And that's where the joy comes from! We FEEL Jesus' presence within us, when he loves others through us, especially when we don't really like them. We KNOW Jesus is abiding within us, when we are guided to perform acts of self-giving love. The joy we receive is not a joy of accomplishment, because it's not our accomplishment. It's not some kind of twisted joy-in-suffering, because OUR suffering is not the suffering that's important. We receive Jesus' joy, the joy of Jesus-in-us, and this joy is for us...complete. This joy does not change with changing circumstances. This joy does not depend on our abilities. This joy cannot be stolen by anyone or anything. And the joy of Jesus' presence will be ours forever.
Gracious God, we ask you to give us everything we need to bear fruit that will last, loving one another as Jesus loved us. Help us to always abide in Jesus, as he abides in us, and enable us to recognize the joy we have in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.