YES, THIS COMMANDMENT IS NEW [R, 4-6-23]

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter—YES, THIS COMMANDMENT IS NEW [R, 4-6-23]

 

Today is Maundy Thursday, and the lectionary reading is John 13, the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. That’s a great passage. So many openings into the mind of God. But I’m especially drawn to the bottom line, verses 34 and 35, where Jesus says that he giving us a new commandment, that we love one another.

To those of us steeped in Christian faith, that does not sound new at all, but in Jesus’ time, commandments were about believing creeds and doing rituals. Love requires no creeds or rituals.

He goes on to say, “This is how people will know you are my disciples, because you love one another.” That is a new and radical idea for Christians right now! Especially if those fellow Christians are Republicans. Or Democrats.

But Peter Scholtheis got it when he wrote…

We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord

And we pray that all unity will one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

May your Thursday be Maundy

John Robert McFarland

You can hear the full “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” on YouTube.