All You need is Love

Reading Amount:

John 13:1-17:26

Central Verse:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35, NRSV

Central Truth:

At the heart of the Gospel is love. Love for God and equally as important is this commandment by Jesus to love one another.

Food for Thought: (Questions about the text)

Our theme verse comes to us in a section of discourse by Jesus. The statement of loving one another actually occurs at another place in this discourse as well. What do you think the over all theme of these chapters are? Is there a theme?

Connections: (Time with our Society)

On 7 July 1967 the Beatles release one of their most easily recognizable song "All You Need Is Love." A song with simple but powerful lyrics it spoke of the power that love can and should have in our lives. The song came at a time when our world was rife with war and American society was split by the Vietnamese war. The song has continued well past its initial release to speak to people and be an advocate for change in our world.

What John Lennon and Paul McCartney struck was a simple concept that Jesus spoke about thousands of years before. At the heart of the gospel and what should be at the heart of our interactions with each other is love. The issue is while this sounds simple and easy to accomplish it has very rarely been done perhaps especially in churches. The stories of Church splitting and fighting over ridiculous things abound. Churches have fought over everything from carpet color to theological issues.

I have been around the United Methodist Church for many years and have attended many annual conferences. All of them that I can remember have been characterized by some type of conflict. Whether it was over a social issue or over a budgetary issue, often it was both in the same time frame. It is easy for individuals to vilify any opposition they receive but that wouldn't be the example that Jesus gives in this Gospel and that Jesus calls us to. Even when the people didn't understand Jesus he reacted out of sadness, disappointment and ultimately love. In fact Jesus doesn't give his life up for others, he gives it away for the sake of love.

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