Jesus’s Confusing Statement About Love

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35).

Why is loving one another a new commandment? To love your neighbor as yourself is part of the Old Testament Mosaic Law.

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18).

It would be one thing if Jesus was reminding us to love one another, but He said that this was a new commandment. What does Jesus mean?

Adam Clarke, the famous 18^th century theologian explains it this way:

Now Christ more than fulfilled the Mosaic precept; he not only loved his neighbor As himself, but he loved him More than himself, for he laid down his life for men. In this he calls upon the disciples to imitate him; to be ready on all occasions to lay down their lives for each other. This was, strictly, a new commandment: no system of morality ever prescribed any thing so pure and disinterested as this. Our blessed Lord has outdone all the moral systems in the universe in two words: 1. Love your enemies; 2. Lay down your lives for each other.”

To love our neighbor more than our self, to the point where we would lay down our lives for each other. Adam Clarke is quite correct when he said that, “no system of morality ever prescribed any thing so pure and disinterested as this.”

Albert Barnes, a famous 19^th century theologian called this new commandment of love a, “badge of discipleship” by which followers and disciples of Christ would be known. It is the evidence of Christ within us, this dying love for others.

The love Jesus speaks of is more than a willingness to sacrifice bodily life. The sacrifice is a spiritual one as well. We can atone for a sin against us by forgiving the sinner of his sin. Jesus said, “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” (John 20:23). The decision to loosen or bind a sin that has been committed against us is a sacrifice decision often difficult to make. It goes against the desires and whims of the flesh.

Here are some questions we should ask our self; Do we love friends, family and neighbors to the point where we can forgive them of wrong doings, to uplift and edify them always and to love them unconditionally? Do we have the love of Christ within? Are we willing to put the interest of others and their lives above our own?

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.” (1 John 3:16-19)

Bill Hitchcock