Share the Cup 2

John 13:34

It takes a lot to keep our household going. With a family of five there is never a lack of things that need to be done. Often, when we leave the house for work or to go away for an evening, we will leave a list of things that need to be taken care of in our absence.

Our children might be instructed to empty the dishwasher, vacuum the carpet, sweep the floor or take out the trash. All of us have things that we need to do or that we should do in our lives.

Our faith in Jesus compels us to do the ministry of God’s kingdom. If we believe in who Jesus was and is then we are naturally going to do good deeds to share God’s love. According to John, in his last evening with his disciples Jesus gave his followers one command to be followed. What was it?

Jesus said that his was a new command. His words probably made reference to all the many religious laws and rules of the Jewish faith. He may also have been referring to the instructions he had been giving throughout his ministry – like those found in “The Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5 – 7.

Now he has some new instructions for those who believe. His words were said to the disciples present with him at the Last Supper, but we can believe that what he had to say is meant for each of us today.

His new command was that we love one another. Then he gives more details. We are to love one another in the same way that Jesus has loved us. That type of love is a love of acceptance and self-sacrifice.

Jesus was willing to humble himself for us. He was willing to lower himself from being the Son of God to being another human friend to all of us sinners.

Such is the love we should have for others. We should be willing to share the cup of Communion, the cup of redemption, the cup of salvation, the cup of compassion and love with all other people. That means we are willing to treat everyone else as an equal to us. We must be willing to share the intimacy of a meal with people we may otherwise find unpleasant or unworthy.

Such is the example of love Christ gave to us. Such is the love we are commanded to live out.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must you do to love as Jesus loved?