September 29: Love One Another

Aside from the cross, there is no more gripping moment revealing the servant-hearted nature of Jesus than when He kneels and washes His disciples’ feet. The task of foot washing was reserved for the very lowest of slaves. Feet that shared the roads with horses and donkeys were filthy and repugnant. No one wanted to wash feet.

But Jesus rose, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed His disciples’ feet. The Lord of Heaven and Earth, the King of kings, wiped manure from their soles. And the very next day, He went to the cross to wipe manure from their souls. Jesus is the servant of all. He gives Himself away in love. He loved them to the very end.

It is with Jesus’ foot-washing love in the background, and His self-sacrificing love in the foreground that He offers His new commandment of love, “Love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (v. 14). In light of Jesus’ self- sacrificing, self-giving, self-donating love for us, He calls us to love one another. Our love expressed for others is to match His love expressed for us. We are to serve one another, sacrifice for one another, give ourselves away for one another. As Christ has loved us, so we also are to love one another.

The only way we can learn to walk in love like this, is if we abide in Christ and live from the power of the Holy Spirit, because love is a fruit of the Spirit. He alone can guide us into Jesus’ way of love. We love because God first loved us. When we abide in the love of God, we learn to live in love, becoming people of love, and extend love to one another.

Love serves. Love kneels. Love sacrifices. Love gives itself away.