Have you ever wondered why Jesus said that this was a “new” command?

Dear KY family,

We have now entered into the month of June, almost at the halfway mark of the year. This is the beginning of the mid-year school holiday period, and also time for our bi-annual KY Family Camp.

To love one another as God loves us

For many churches, the annual or bi-annual church camp is a wonderful time of gathering together away from the hustle and bustle of life in Singapore, to hear the Word of God in community, and to be ministered to in the presence of the Spirit. For our church, Kum Yan Methodist Church, I am expecting that and much much more! I pray that it will also be a time of hearing and visioning together what type of a church our God desires for us to be, and to catch the heart of the God who is FOR us.
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He addressed His disciples and gave them a new command. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. This is the entire journey of discipleship summed up in this new command: to love one another as God loves us.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus said that this was a “new” command? The Jews knew the shema which is outlined in Deuteronomy and summarised this way – love God and love your neighbour. The new command in John 13 doesn’t sound new at the outset, but there is a striking difference. The old command requires us to love God and love our neighbour, without reference to the means or motivation of love. But the new command spells out not only the imperative to love, but also the type of love we are to exhibit – we are to love as God loves us.
Is it even possible to perfectly love imperfect people? Indeed, the command is a tall order. And the road of discipleship is therefore not an easy one. But take heart, we are not expected to conjure up love for one another on our own. The Holy Spirit who dwells in us will be the One who works out His sanctifying grace in our lives, enlarging our hearts, and imbuing us with the gentleness and kindness of God towards others.
May we, in surrender to the will of God, and in being led by the Spirit, grow to become a family of Jesus’ disciples who would impact the world with the Gospel of Christ!