As I Have Loved You

“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
– John 13:34–35


Jesus spoke these words just after washing His disciples’ feet, including Judas, who would soon betray Him. In that moment, Jesus embodied the love He was commanding. It wasn’t theoretical or sentimental—it was humble, self-giving, and unshaken even in the face of rejection. This kind of love is the mark of true discipleship.

We may think of love as something warm or agreeable, but Christ’s love reaches beyond agreement. His love reaches toward others even when there’s tension, misunderstanding, or opposition. The command Jesus gives is not simply to love when it’s easy, but to love as He has loved us. That includes loving other believers who frustrate us, who see the world differently, who emphasize other parts of Scripture, or who walk paths we don’t understand. It’s a radical call—to put relationship in Christ above division.

When we love this way, the world sees something it can’t explain: people united not by opinion, background, or preference, but by Christ. Our love becomes our witness. And it begins with letting Christ’s love dwell deeply in us—so much so that it spills over onto those we might otherwise avoid or judge.


Questions


1. When have you found it difficult to love another believer who thinks differently than you?

2. What part of Jesus’ love toward you helps soften your heart toward others?

3. How can your actions this week reflect Jesus’ kind of love more clearly?


Suggested Activity

Today, think about someone who believes differently than you but also follows Jesus. Let your prayer for them be an act of love. Let your patience with them be a reflection of Jesus’ patience with you. This is how the world will know who we belong to.


Prayer


Loving Lord, 

You have loved me with mercy I didn’t deserve, with forgiveness I didn’t earn. Help me to love others as You have loved me. Teach me to see my brothers and sisters through Your eyes, especially those I struggle to understand. Let my heart be shaped by Your grace and not my frustration. May my life bear witness to You—not through arguments or perfect agreement, but through love.

In Your name I pray. Amen.

-
 

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