John 13:31-35
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
What is New in Jesus' New Commandment?
The Holy Scriptures start teaching about love with the Ten Commandments. "The Lord our God is One Lord: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength," Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
Further on, the Bible teaches that our relationships with others according to God's will for His faithful are to "be holy as He is holy." This holiness is proven in the relationships with one's neighbors, especially through love, mercy and non-vengeance. "You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy" Leviticus 19:2.
Human love and human holiness, as wanted by the Lord God, are perfected in "Love your neighbor as yourself," Leviticus 19:18.
Who is my neighbor? Jesus gave us the answer in the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37. My neighbor is every human, regardless of his/her race, color, faith or social condition.
What does the New Testament teach us about love?
God is Love, I John 4:8, and
Love is manifested in action, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
It is worthy to open our Gospel, read, reflect on this text and examine ourselves to see if we are actually practicing this love that the Apostle Paul urges us to.
The Gospel teaches us that love is not a theory, just an emotional feeling or friendly sharing, but much more expressed through real practice that requires sacrifices, forgiveness, and self-abnegation without expecting any reward except its union with God's love.
This kind of love can only be implemented with God's presence and grace. This is the new model of love Jesus refers to when He says to us "AS I love you" (v. 34).
Like the branches of the grapevine, unless they are attached to and fed by its roots, they can never give fruit. Without Jesus being our model of love, mercy and humility, we can never love as He loves us. This love keeps us united through Him and becomes a sign of credible witness for others that we are His disciples.
Let us pray to become His true disciples today and praise the Lord with St. Paul, "I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" Galatians 2:20.
The new element in the new commandment is the person of Jesus living within us, the only model we have to follow and from whom we draw energy for this kind of love. By this love, the world knows that we are His disciples.