Day 26: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Jesus waits for the chatter to die down, and his face appears more thoughtful. He leans forward and reaches one hand towards Simon and another towards Matthew. Instinctively, they reach out to clasp his hands. Jesus looks at one, then the other, his grip holding strong and long. No one dares move as Jesus seems to be making a point. Everyone knows Matthew and Simon are on opposite sides of politics. Even though they had spent three years together, the two rarely agree on anything. As a Zealot, Simon hated taxes, the Romans who imposed the taxes, and those who collected the taxes. Matthew earned a living collecting taxes from his own people for the Romans. The two could not have come from more opposite ideologies, and yet, Jesus had called them both. Remarkably, they followed him together for three years, eating, walking, sleeping, learning, and being amazed together. He gives their hands one last squeeze, and dropping his clasp, motions around to the whole group. His voice is clear and strong.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Maybe Jesus even says it again with more emphasis, “Love each other as I have loved you.” The disciples nod. They have heard this before. Jesus had said these same words earlier in the evening as they sat around the Passover meal. Jesus smiles and shakes his head slightly. The disciples really have NO idea how wide and deep and ancient his love is for them.
Vineyard Metaphor
As we consider the metaphor of the vineyard, love shows up in so many ways.
First, the love of great wine is the purpose of everything that happens in the vineyard. Those who own and work in the vineyard love the vines. Love flows through the vine as life-giving water is drawn up from the ground and poured into the branches to create beautiful fruit. Love is what compels the winemaker to instruct the vineyard workers to drop fruit right before harvest.
It’s shocking to walk in a vineyard in the days before harvest. There are beautiful clusters of grapes hanging on the vine… AND there are what used to be beautiful clusters of grapes scattered on the ground as if some enemy has come through and vandalized the vineyard. What, in fact, has happened is the vineyard workers have taken the time to identify clusters that are less than optimal and cut them off the branch to give the best clusters the last push of the vine’s energy to make them extraordinary. The overarching vision for and love of good wine makes it easy for the vineyard workers to cut off fruit that is less than ideal. Even though there may be a smaller quantity of juice for wine, the quality of the juice will be much higher.
This is the kind of tough love Jesus has shown the disciples. He has called them to the highest and best kind of love. The kind of upside down, crazy love that invites them to leave behind their old ways of thinking and, instead, to love their enemies, to forgive others innumerable times, to prioritize the poor, the women, and the children, to fraternize with sinners and Samaritans. He has invited them to become a community, regardless of their social status or political affiliation. He has called them to give up what looks like good fruit – wealth, stability, being in the religious inner circle – for the best fruit of loving and following him into a new way of being fully human in the kingdom of God. Not only has he called them to a new kind of love, but he has modeled it for them. He invites them to love each other AS he has loved them.
Reflection and Meditation
Take a moment to visualize the clusters of grapes littering the ground between the rows of vines heavy with fruit to harvest. Consider each detached cluster as a representation of an old way of being that has been lovingly cut off. Perhaps you’d like to name some thoughts, actions, or intentions of the heart that need to be cut off or dropped, in order for the beautiful, crazy love of Jesus to be manifested in you.
Feel your soul rise to respond to his command to love each other.
When you hear the words “each other,” who comes to mind? Whose faces do you see? Could you love them as Jesus has loved you?
Maybe you would like to confess who you are incapable of loving with your own strength. Ask Jesus to fill you to overflowing with his incomparable love.
Receive his love, knowing that, as it fills you, it spills into the lives of those around you.
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”