Thoughts About Jesus’ Command to Love for Mother’s Day

May 6, 2024

Harvard University sociologists developed a test which has a 90% accuracy rating, to determine whether or not five and six-year-olds would exhibit delinquent behavior. They discovered that there are four factors that are necessary to prevent delinquent behavior in children of this age. First, the father’s firm, fair, and consistent discipline. Second, the mother’s supervision and companionship during the day. Third, the parent’s demonstrated love and affection for each other and for the children. Fourth, spending family time together where all family members participated in family activities.

As we approach Mother’s Day I found this list to be a testament to the importance of the family to raise strong children, which contribute to strong communities, that are the foundation of a strong country. It has worked in the past and, it can work in the future. As we remember Moms, I want to focus on the third point in the test, the parent’s demonstration of love and affection. Love is a very difficult thing to share with others. For many, Mother’s Day is a celebration of love, and often, Moms play the biggest role in helping us understand the greatest love of all, the love we receive from our Lord Jesus Christ.

In John 13:34, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” No one else but the Son of God could have spoken such powerful words of love, while his world was crashing down around him. When Jesus said these words, Judas had left to betray Him. He had announced His impending death to the disciples who didn’t understand Him. He predicted Peter would deny Him three times before morning. The disciples would fall asleep when He asked them to stay awake and pray for Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Later, the disciples would abandon Jesus when His rigged trial turned against Him. In this setting, how could Jesus talk about a commandment of love?

Yet, never has the command to love one another as Jesus has loved been more needed than on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. It set the stage for Jesus to rally his frightened disciples into a force that changed the world after His resurrection. Jesus had taught them, healed them, served them and loved them. All this was not enough. So, He prepared Himself to die for them. And that was enough. Thank God, that was enough.

At last the disciples were infected with the love of God, and they wrote these words on their hearts, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Those first Christians found that the power in loving each other, as Jesus had loved them, can only be described as divine. As we know, the faith of Jesus’ disciples not only survived, but thrived, as they surrounded fellow brothers and sisters of Christ with love that was so infectious that non-believers confessed, “Surely this must be the son of God,” and joined the church in large numbers, even in the midst of persecution.

Never has the command to love one another, as Jesus loves, been more needed than today, as we live our hectic lives, sometimes so busy we struggle to find the time to pray and seek God’s plan for our lives. Yet God wants us to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are loved, unconditionally, warts and all. God’s love can take us, warts and all, and transform us into people worthy to be called God’s children.

Do you know how much God loves you? To begin to grasp God’s infinite love look up I Corinthians 13:4-8, and reread each verse as if God were talking to you. So, the first verse would read, “God’s love for you is patient. God’s love for you is kind.” If you really want to better understand God’s love for you write some notes as you say each phrase from the scripture. What do you learn about yourself? Do you need to learn to love yourself more? Do you need to be more forgiving of yourself?

When we know we are loved, and have the love of God in our hearts, we become powerful tools for God to spread love to others who are searching for the love they need. There is a lonely person next to you who needs comfort. See the hassled sales lady who needs to be told she is great. What about the member of the church who is overworked and under-appreciated? Maybe your spouse needs to hear the words, “I love you,” more often. Maybe your children and grandchildren need to see you model love for them so that they will better know how much Jesus loves them. The Lord knows one of the key ingredients for a great family is love. May your faith help make you more loving. (To find out more about Al Earley or read previous articles see, www.lagrangepres.org).