So Jesus does more than just COMMAND his disciples to love one another. Jesus LOVES the world with this next-level love, forgiving his enemies who hate him, refusing to use the power at his command to rescue himself, and giving his life for foreigners on the cross, so that all may receive forgiveness from God without distinction. The next-level love that Jesus calls forth from and expects from his disciples, he has already placed in their hearts himself – it is not up to disciples to create it from scratch on their own. Love is a gift from Jesus for the world, and its a gift that keeps on giving, through the actions and attitudes of each one of his disciples.
And as we grow into this commandment to love and let it change us, we feel the wonderful results of Jesus' next-level love, making things new. We feel the freedom that comes with the forgiveness Jesus paid for on the cross, the freedom from guilt and shame in God's presence, and the freedom to leave behind the sins that held us back. We feel the freedom that comes with love of enemies, the freedom to release soul-destroying grudges and obsessions of revenge. In earlier days, slaves across the Western world felt the freedom of repudiating power, as influential Christians chose to change the system and win for the slaves their freedom. And in the future, we look forward to the first things passing away, and God making ALL things new, through his next-level love. What a feeling of awe...that the Lord of the universe would CHOOSE to love us, and then TRUST us to love one another with the love he has given us!
Gracious God, we thank you for your next-level love for us. Help us to reflect this love to all with whom we have contact, making all things new, in Jesus' name, amen.