A Perfect Love
The verse pictured above are Jesus' words the night of the last supper. He had washed the feet of the disciples, they had eaten the Passover meal, and Judas had left the room. Jesus was preparing them for what would come in mere hours. And his final encouragement was to love one another.
Not to love the way family and friends love. That's often conditional. But He told them to love as He had loved them. That is a love beyond what we can fully imagine. Jesus accepted everyone where they were in life. He loved them in spite of their behavior and poor choices. He was merciful and kind, but He never compromised the standards of God. Remember when they brought the woman guilty of adultery to Jesus to see if He would condemn her? As you read this passage in John 8:9, it says
Then those who heard it, being convicted by
their conscience, went out one by one.
Jesus knew what the young woman had done, but He also knew of her accuser's sins. None of us can judge another, for we know we have all sinned. Jesus was merciful to the woman, but also to the accusers! He could have judged each of them for their choices as well. But Jesus encouraged her by saying, after her accusers left, neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more. He loved her and redirected her. We are also encouraged by Jesus Word's in the next verse when He calls us to be His witnesses:
By this all will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
Make a commitment today to love one another so that others will see that you are His disciples!
