Love one another in shocking context
Jesus gives his famous new commandment in John chapter 13 in the Upper Room right after his last supper with his disciples whose feet he washed just before the meal in an astounding example of servanthood with the towel wrapped around his waist.
What I have never noticed is the immediate context right before and right after the command to love one another as Jesus as loved. Right before he said that one of them would betray him; Satan entered Judas and he went out into the night, a very dark moment. Right after, Jesus says that Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows.
So Jesus command to love one another is sandwiched between one who will betray him and one who will deny him; and yet he loves them and so we are to love one another including those who will betray us and deny us.
Wow…and we have the gall to think that God “doesn’t really know” what we go through.
Exactly
Thank you for showing us this hidden jewwel! The man of parable, paradox, and contrast….his comments must have reflected (parable-style) what was heavy on his mind that night…that which he was about to do….hang, showing mercy, “sandwiched” between 2 criminals….to show us the narrow way, the contrast he desires to reflect through our lives.