I Command Love

"These things I command you, that ye love one another."

(John 15:17)

This is probably one of the most overlooked verses by Jesus. We all know the part of the Great Commandment as described by Jesus that we are to love our neighbor as our self (Matthew 22:36-40). That message is a description, a telling of what the Great Commandment is. But what Jesus says here in John is different.

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." Jesus makes it crystal clear. This is not a statement, a goal, a desired end. This is a straightforward commandment. We as Christians do not have an option or say in the matter. To love one another is a direct order. It is a command to be done. This is not up for discussion or debate.

But a point of clarity is needed. How do you turn on the emotion of love and love someone you may not know or even like? The answer is simple. You don’t, you can’t, and Jesus isn’t asking us to.

The word love is transliterated from the Greek, “agapeo”. Most folks define it as Godly love, which is correct, but really doesn’t explain what it is and what is involved with it. Agapeo isn’t the emotional type of love that we presently think of when we hear the word. In fact, the Greeks defined love in a multitude of ways, with each form of love dealing with a specific circumstance. For example, there is a love felt and expressed for a friend. There’s a different type of love felt and expressed for a family member, there’s one for a spouse, an object, there’s a different type of love regarding sex, and so.

The love that Jesus commanded us all to have and express to our neighbor and to each other is a type of love that is concerned with the welfare for another. This type of love is concerned with their well-being, of having their basic needs met spiritually, materially and emotionally.

Agapeo type of love really doesn’t require any feeling of emotional love towards another, but can certainly be the catalyst for it to develop.

To love another and our neighbor as our self simply means being available and amenable to the care and support of their well-being. This actually leads us to dive deeper into self. For to give, we must first have. Jesus wants us to be able to aid in the welfare of another to the level of our self. What is that level? What do we have to give? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not necessarily speaking in terms of material wealth. But spiritually and emotionally, where are we? This I know; those weak in the spirit will be weak in the concern of their fellow man and will be weak in giving of them self. Is this why we don’t just automatically help each other? Is this perhaps why Jesus made loving another a commandment and not just a suggestion of a good idea? Non-emotional and non-sexual love does not come naturally for fallen man. So for us to give agapeo love, we first have to get it and where do you think we get this love from?

 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8).

Get God, Get love, then we can give that love to another.

Bill Hitchcock