John 13:34

In the thirteenth chapter of St. John’s gospel, Jesus gives us a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus does not simply say: “love one another.” He qualifies this statement by saying: “love one another as I have loved you.”

In other words, Jesus is true love in action. If we want truely to love one another, we need to follow the example of Jesus who has shown us how to love. This is the new commandment that Jesus gives us; this is the new way that Christians must follow: “love one another as I have loved you.”

Before the time of Jesus, the chosen people followed the old testament laws which numbered over two thousand commandments, the majority of which were negative. Scribes and Pharisees argued over which was the greatest of these commandments. One day a Pharisee asked Jesus the same question they had been discussing among themselves, “which is the greatest of the commandments?” Jesus answered him by saying that love; love of God and love of neighbor, is the greatest of all the commandments.

The gospel of Jesus, which completes the old testament, is about one thing and one thing only; namely, love. To love one another as Jesus loves us is to live a complete and dignified human life. That is why St. Augustine says: “love and do what you like.” The person who follows Jesus’ example of love need not worry about doing any wrong for he or she is only trying to follow Jesus who showed us how to love one another.

People today, like the Pharisee who was perplexed over which commandment was the greatest, are still confused about the meaning of love. There is a song by Billy Joel; “fifty ways to leave your lover” which offers a cynical and negative view of love in today’s society:
“Step out the back, Jack;
Take a new stand, Stan;
Set yourself free.”

When Jesus talks about love in chapter thirteen of St. John’s gospel, he leaves no room for this kind of cynicism. He simply offers himself as an example of how to love one another because he is the one whom we need to follow.
Fr. Hugh Duffy