URC Daily Devotion 15th November

As Christmas approaches, TV soap-opera producers will already have filmed the explosive Christmas episodes, where some surprise revelation over Christmas Dinner will have the characters’ lives similarly thrown into chaos. Personal revelations can be life-changing for both the individual and the family. In the congregation where I serve as an Elder, many who come to us – myself included – have experienced similar when we ‘came out’ as lesbian or gay. For some, this led to fleeing their countries for their very lives; for others, estrangement from family.

Probably because we are so familiar with Jesus’ Passion narrative and that the four accounts blend into one in our minds, it is easy to overlook the verses unique to John’s account: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” Here, the Greek uses ἀγαπᾶτε – ‘agape’ (sacrificial) love.

The brokenness we experience often stems from failure to love: others, God, even ourselves. In the middle of that painful scene in the Upper Room, Jesus focuses on love. Despite Peter’s denial, we know later from John 21 that Jesus restored Peter, where Jesus again focused on ‘agape’ love. Jesus’ command to love allows us to move beyond the denial and live once more.