Love Has Everything To Do With Jesus' Command
This is the homily I shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church for Maundy Thursday. The gospel text was John 13:1-17, 31b-35 . Tina Turner sings: “What's love got to do, got to do with it What's love but a second hand emotion What's love got to do, got to do with it Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” I understand Tina’s frustration. At times in my life I have felt that way. But the thing is, in tonight’s gospel reading, love has everything to do with Jesus’ new commandment. For the commandment being given is not to wash each other’s feet as much as it is to love one another as Jesus loved us. What kind of love is Jesus talking about? For one thing, there is a depth of love that is beyond what the disciples had experienced before. Wherever the word “love” appears in John’s gospel, it is best understood as “attachment, commitment and loyalty.” It is a love that is in it for the long haul. John makes clear from the get go that Jesus...