Love Is a Verb

A deeper look at Jesus’ New Command

Most of us can recite John 13:35, “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” I’ve spent most of my life wondering why Jesus referred to this as a “new command.” After all, it was very similar to the great commandment discussion Jesus had earlier in Matthew.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40).

So why did Jesus, on his last night with his disciples before heading to the cross, say he was giving them a new command, and then say the new command was to love one another? Wasn’t this already a command?

The answer is in the preceding verse in John 13 – and this is what we need to unpack for our congregations as we focus on reaching out in mission.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

If Jesus says he is giving us something new, it seems imperative we pay attention. This isn’t just anyone giving us a new command, this is Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, Emmanuel – God with us.

So what is new?

I would suggest it is in the phrase, “as I have loved you, so must you love one another.” Let’s look at how Jesus loves us and discuss how that relates to our GCI Love Venue.

Jesus came to us – Love Venue: Identify Target Community

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” The reason Jesus came was because of love. He didn’t come presenting himself as God to rule over us and make us conform. Rather, he came and presented himself as one of us—fully human—and lived among us. The fact that he took the initiative is the key to understanding how his command to love is “new.”

Jesus didn’t demand we come to him; he came to us. He entered our world. He ate our food. He lived as we live. He walked the roads we walk. He dressed the way we dress. He spoke our language. He didn’t wait for us to come to a certain level of understanding, or change our behavior, or demand a certain lifestyle—he simply entered our world. As GCI congregations, we can’t just wait for people to come to us—we need to go to them. We want to be intentional about going to others—loving outside the doors of the church. We want to enter the neighborhood God has called us to. We want to walk the streets, eat the food, speak the language, spend time with others.

Jesus didn’t go all over the world; he came to a specific region to start his ministry. Jesus had a target community where he did his ministry and mission.

Where do you meet for church? Is this your target community? Is this where God has placed you? (In some cases, we may find we are not meeting in the best place for mission. If this is the case, please talk to your regional director for guidelines to help you identify your target community.)

Your target community is the area (neighborhood) surrounding where you meet. It’s not the whole township, city, county, or state. Be specific in determining where Jesus is inviting you to love others as he loves them. Then ask God to help you see people the way he sees them, and to love them the way he loves them.

Jesus built relationships – Love Venue: Ongoing Relationship Building

Jesus didn’t stay at home and wait for people to come to him. He went to them – into their neighborhoods, into their communities. He went where people were gathering. He went to those who were hurting, and had needs, and he went to those who were ostracized by others.

When he encountered others, he didn’t just say “follow me” and then go about his business hoping they would follow. He spent time with his disciples. He built relationships with them, and with many others. People followed him because he was relational. He was invited into people’s homes because he showed them love and they reciprocated. He was enjoyable to be around. And note that some relationships were closer than others. Jesus was intentional in his mission.

The way we show love to our target community is to go out and spend time in that community talking to people. Get to know them. Find out what their interests are. Find out what the neighborhood needs. Be present at community events so you can build relationship. Be interested before being interesting – in other words, get to know their views, their hopes, their fears, before sharing your hope and your faith. When they see you are interested in them, they will show interest in you. Again, ask God to help you see the people in the neighborhood through his eyes. See them as his beloved – those he loves so much he sent his Son, and now he is sending you.

Jesus got involved – Love Venue: Missional Activities and Events

Jesus loved people by getting involved in their communities and in their lives. He spent time in public places – going where the people were celebrating, mourning, meeting, learning, shopping, debating.

A way to show love for a community is to go where the people go: school events, local sporting events, community picnics, celebrations and meetings. Go to funerals of family members of those you’ve met. Go to restaurants and coffee shops in your target community. Let people see you and become familiar with your presence. Let them know the congregation cares for this neighborhood or community. Let them know they can call you when they go through trauma or need to share. This is being interested before being interesting.

Jesus gave us this new command—to actively love others as he loves us—because he knew he was going to send us just as the Father sent him. He knew he was going to invite us to participate in his mission of sharing his love and his life with others.

The new command Jesus gave us—to love as he loves—is to reinforce that love a verb.

Continually learning to love,

Rick Shallenberger