Love's Example

Read John 13:1-17

Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
-John 13:15 (NIV)

JESUS' words in the Gospel of John, chapters 13 to 17, tell us about the days just before the Crucifixion - how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and prayed for them and for us. It was Jesus' time to be glorified, to give his life for us. My human mind is too limited to understand the greatness of this act of love; I can accept it only from my heart.

And once I accept this gift, how do I show my gratitude? By doing what Jesus tells me to do. Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35, nrsv). Loving our neighbors is often not easy or simple, but for the Christian it is compulsory. Nothing can justify us if we are able to help the needy but choose not to.

We find the strength to love others and give ourselves for them by the power of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth. That powerful witness for the Savior who loved us to the end gives us strength to do his works. When fear and despondency try to pull me down, the Spirit encourages me. And as I meditate on the words and actions of Jesus in the final days of his life - how he washed the disciples' feet and prayed for them and for us, how he gave himself for us - I find hope in his example of love.

by Alice Atanassova (Varna, Bulgaria)