Living the "New" Commandment

[Jesus said], "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35)

The Hebrew Scriptures commanded: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which emphasized treating others with the same care and respect that you would want for yourself.¹ Jesus’ “new" commandment, quoted above, takes this a step further. The key difference is the standard of love to which we are called. Instead of loving others as yourself, Jesus calls you to love others as Jesus—the human face of God—loves you.

Moreover, Jesus’ standard of love is the essence and defining characteristic of being a disciple of Jesus (John 13:35). This standard calls each of us to a new way of loving and relating to others—the way that Jesus loved and related to those he encountered.

Through scripture we learn that Jesus' main focus was to do the will of God, restore humanity to right relationship with God, and to bring the reign of God's unconditional love, peace, justice, forgiveness, mercy, healing, and salvation to all.

Jesus met people where they were, especially the marginalized, the outcasts of society, those who were neglected or despised, those who were searching, and those who were sick and needed healing. He restored people to new life. He challenged people, without judgment, to turn their minds, hearts, and lives around from living in darkness and to embrace the love and light of God who is knocking at the door of their heart, waiting to be opened and let Christ in (Revelation 3:20). God's unconditional love for us was and is expressed by Jesus in his teachings and acts of humility, kindness, inclusion, compassion, forgiveness, formation of community, selfless service, and the sacrificial giving of himself.

We are enabled to love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). Love is a choice to strive to see others through the eyes of Christ. Love is not merely a desire, feeling, or emotion which can easily change. Nor does love require you to like someone. Rather, unconditional love is a deliberate act of the will seeking the good and well-being of others, to be the best version of themselves that God intends for them to be. It is this meaning of love that allows one to "forgive your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

To love as Jesus loves means you allow yourself to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach out in love to others through kindness, speaking words of encouragement to those around you, listening patiently to others, and offering a helping hand even in small ways. You forgive others even when it is difficult, just as Jesus forgave those who denied, rejected, crucified, or abandoned him. You serve others selflessly and with humility, not expecting anything in return, as when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. You are compassionate through welcoming and accepting people for who they truly are, children of God. You speak truth to power, offer peace, seek justice, and stand up for the vulnerable, marginalized and outcasts, and those in need, just as Jesus did. You sacrifice for the good of others, putting others before yourself, giving your time, resources, or emotional support without expecting anything in return, just as Jesus laid down his life for humanity. You seek to build community, as Jesus did, through encouraging and uplifting others, and creating a welcoming and loving environment.

Jesus' presence and unconditional love transforms people. That same transformation of people, as recorded in Scripture, continues to occur today through your encounter with the presence of the resurrected Christ in Scripture, prayer, in the sacraments—especially the Eucharist— and with a community of faith gathered together in Christ. By allowing the Spirit to manifest God's unconditional love through your thoughts, words, and acts, you can be a vessel of God's transformation of others.

When you embrace Jesus' commandment to love in your daily journey of life, you allow Christ's presence and love, even in your smallest acts of kindness, to become visible in and through you, and to become a witness of Christ's love in the world. This love has the power to transform hearts, heal divisions, bring peace, and create relationships and communities rooted in love. As Saint [Mother] Teresa of Calcutta said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

1 In response to the question, “Which commandment in the law [Torah] is the greatest?” Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:27-40; cf. Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). In essence, Jesus joined these two commandments together. How you love God is not separate nor distinct from how you love others. You can’t love God if you do not love others, even your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).

"If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from [God]: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21).

With respect to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” see Jesus’ response in Luke 10:25-37.