“‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.’” John 13:34-35
I believe Jesus’ Great Commission to “... go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) is the greatest invitation of all time. It is not, nor ever was, about coercing or manipulating others into a relationship with Him. This seems obvious and ludicrous as I write it, yet I’m soberly aware that Jesus’ words have been exploited throughout the centuries by many, and great harm has been done to others in the “Name of Jesus.” It has become clear to me that the way to make disciples is through genuinely loving and serving God and others. Our lives of love and devotion to Jesus will naturally serve as an invitation to others to also love and serve Him.
As we place our loyalty and love at the feet of Jesus each day, we are transformed by the power of His Love. In turn, then, our lives become infused with Something we can never acquire or produce on our own. As we stay connected to Jesus as the Vine (John 15), we are nurtured to grow and produce fruit, but as Jesus said, only as we remain in Him...
“... apart from me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:5)
“Love as I have loved you….”
(John 13:34)
There is tremendous freedom in remembering that we are not called to redeem the world. That is God’s job. We are called by Jesus to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... and love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37, 39). And the amazing, beautiful truth is that as we do this—as we sincerely love and serve God and people—the world is redeemed.
~em
Comments