Jesus makes a surprising claim of giving a new commandment when he says, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34-35). This commandment was not really new. This same commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” was already found in Leviticus (Lev 19:18). So, why does Jesus say his commandment is a new one?
In one way, Jesus describes his commandment as new because it expands the meaning of neighbor. For the ancient Hebrew, neighbor was a term that applied only to the Israelites themselves, and perhaps to outsiders who had lived with them long enough to be considered native born. Their understanding of the Levitical principle to love others therefore applied only to their own people, and certainly not to the whole human race.
Jesus, on the other hand, expands “neighbor” to include all people, even one’s enemies. “Love your enemies,” Jesus says to the people, “and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44). Thus, his commandment of love is new because it is a universal call to love all people, regardless of time, place, culture, or familial relationship. In the eyes of Jesus, we are neighbor to each other because of our shared spiritual heritage and destiny. We share a common origin in God. We are all children of God and precious in his sight (Ps 17:8). Thus, we share a spiritual worth and dignity deserving of mutual respect and esteem.
In another way, Jesus makes his commandment new as a matter of justice and mercy. Jesus is fully aware of the scoundrels who are part and parcel of daily life. For that reason, he knows that we will, at times, question our ability to love others as we love ourselves. Jesus makes it clear that we do have this ability when he says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (Jn 15:9-10). Jesus means that we can love others because God loved us first (1 Jn 4:19).
The Apostle John emphasizes this same point in a different way when he writes, “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 him: whoever loves God must also love his brother (1 Jn 4:20-21). In this way, John makes it plain that we love God by loving his children (1 Jn 5:2). Sounds a bit circular, but John says this because God is love itself.
In making his commandment a new principle of living, Jesus does not romanticize love. He is not being sappy when says to love one another as he loves us. Nor does he require that we like everyone or accept everything they do. Jesus loves us because of our inherent worth as a child of God and not because we have earned his love. His love for us is unconditional. We can do the same, as impossible as it may seem at times.
We begin by putting aside our ideas of prestige and privilege. Jesus says: “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn 13:14-15).
Jesus goes a step further and reveals the kind of love he has in mind. When he asks Peter, do you love me, and Peter responds yes, Jesus immediately tells him—feed my lambs, tend my sheep. In effect, Jesus says to Peter, love those I love in concrete, beneficial ways. My lambs are hungry for many things, both physical and spiritual. Help them as best you can whenever you can. Sometimes, this means giving a little, other times, it means giving a lot.
Jesus does not leave us alone in our response to his invitation of love. He gave us the Holy Spirit as our guide. In the Profession of Faith, we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” We believe that the Holy Spirit is a powerful creator who can, and often does, intervene in human affairs to help us do things we cannot do alone. The Holy Spirit speaks to us in our hearts and minds, and through the wisdom of others to transform our lives. The Holy Spirit “nudges” us to a better way of living, to love others and touch their lives as Christ loves and touches each of us. We can live this way by following the Spirit’s lead (Gal 5:25).
Following the lead of the Holy Spirit might call for a change of mind and heart. We change our minds about what is important, what values will motivate and guide our way of life. This change of heart and mind clears the way for a genuine life in the Spirit based on the values of God. Life in the Spirit is none other than a commitment to carry out authentic good deeds born of love in imitation of Christ.
Following the path of love as a matter of justice and mercy is the message that Jesus preached long ago. He invites us to do the same, to live a certain kind of life, to be a certain kind of person. The decision to follow Christ on the path of love is a decision to be just and merciful towards others, especially the poor and vulnerable members of our society. These are the values of God. To live in the Spirit of Christ is to live a life of integrity rooted in love of God and love of neighbor.
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