The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 209

Vcrs. 34, 36.-The new commandment. I. IN ITS IMPORT. 1. That the disciple.~ of Ghrist should love one another. "That ye love one another." (1) Man mUBt be a disciple of Ghrist ore he can come under this law n/ Uhristm love. He must be a Christian disciple ere he can exercise Christian love towards another, and ere he can lawfully expect it from another towards him. This command was given by Christ to his disciples, o.nd as such they were expected to obey it. It is true that Cbrietian.s are to love mo.nkind genero.lly, and even their enemies, but not in the same way and degree ns thoy are to love one another as the disciples of Christ. What is commanded here is Christian love, (2) This love is to be mutual. It is the duty of a.II, the duty of each disciple to love his follow-disciple, and the equal duty of that fellow-disciple to love him. It is a. universal duty of the Christian school and brotherhood, and there is no exception. If a man is a disciple of Christ, this command is binding on him. 2. That the dilici.ples of Ghrist are to love one another aa Ohrilit loved them. "A11 I have loved you." In order to know the full import of this command, we must know what Christ's love to his disciples was. (1) It was great and self-sacrificing. To know the fountain, look at the stream. To know the love of Christ, look at it in its gift, sacrifices, and miracles. The gifts of his love were princely, the exploits of his love were miraculous, and the sacrifice of his love was infinite. He loved his disciples more than himself. "He made himself of no reputation." To understand and imitate the love of Christ to some extent, his disciples' love must be great and self-sacrificing. They must love one another more than :themselves. (2) His love was purely unselfish. He loved his disciples.while poor and unworthy. The motives of his love were derived from himself, and uot from them. He loved them in their weakness, errors, and backslidings, and his love was strongest when they least deserved it. One of them betrayed him, but he loved him still. Another denied him, and he loved him all the more. One sternly and stupidly disbelieved his identity and resurrection, and he suffered him to put bis fingers into the prints of the nails. What but love the most unselfish would do this? So the disciples are to love one another. We are to help the weakest, succour the most needy, and love a brother, not on account of what he has, but what he is-a feUow- disciple. (3) His love to them was practical ; it was not o. mere profession or senti- ment, but reality; it was perfect love. Love is not perfect till it appears in actic.n. It is but seed in principle, but ripe fruit in action. Christ's love was active. It walked in his feet, spoke in his tongue, worked in his hands. The hands of his love washed his disciples' feet, the feet of his love walked about doing good, the eyes of his love wept tears of compassion with the two sisters at their brother's grave, and the voice of his love summoned him back to life. 'l'he care of bis love asked, " Children, have ye any meat?'' Every impulse of his kindly heart was manifested in a corresponding deed or word of kindness. His disciples' love to one another should be practical. Love, like faith, without works is dead. (4) His love to them was devoted and constant. (Ver. 1.) Like the sun, he shone upon them all, but with moro constancy, as his love was never under a cloud, and never set, but shone full-orbed to the last, and shines still. His disciples' love should be devoted, constant, and unchangeable. II, IN ITS WPOBTANOE AND OBLIGATION, It is important and obligatory : 1. As it is the natural la-w of spirit·ual life in Ghrist. This is love. It naturally arises from their relationship to him and to each other. This relationship is the nearest, dearest, and most sacred and lasting, and from each of these considerations love is the essential law, and the essential law is specially binding and important. Not to observe it is a contra- diction of our real relationship to Jesus and to each other. It is a universally acknow- ledged law-the higher and nearer our relationship, the greater is our obligation to love and succour each other, If so, how great is this obligation with regard to the disciples of Christ I 2. .d.s the specially expressed -will of Jesus. Expressed in a positive form and in a most solemn command, given at a most solemn hour, on the eve of bis departure from them, under the shadow of death and the stroke of enmity, he gave the command of love, and his express will is in perfect harmony with the law of spiritual life in him, which is supreme love to one another. The voice of the law within is echoed by the. voice of the lawgiver without, " That ye love one another." 3. .As it is renewed and revived by the life and death of Ohrist. On this account it is properly called a. new com- mandment. (1) New in its complete expression. The first an<1 the old edition was pub- Hshed on Sinai through Moses, but the new wa.s publ.iahed by Chi: •. '. on his W'J.Y to Ca.lvcU"y.  THE GOSPEL AOCORDING TO ST. JOHN, [cB xm. 1-38-