Are We On Track?

John 13:31,34-35 When he was gone, Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

After Judas has left the upper room and only the eleven were listening, Jesus gives them a new commandment. But why is it new, it sounds very much like the Old Testament Commandments Jesus quoted when asked what was the greatest commandment? (Mt. 22:35-40) It is new because Immanuel is giving it to the men through whom He will begin building His church. The Commandments from the Old Testament were given by God while the present was not seen by the people to whom He gave the command. But now God in the flesh stands among the future leaders of the church and tells them to “love one another as He has loved them.” The three years He has spent with these men is very
important, because they have witnessed His true care and concern for them as a group, but particularly individually. Now they will first witness to the world by the same love extended to them by extending it to one another.
But what was His greatest act of love that night? Was it the implementation of the sacrament of Communion? While I believe that is a tremendous act to remind us of His greatest sacrifice on our behalf, He had also made a wonderful sacrifice of love before the dinner, and even Judas participated in the washing of their feet. Even though Jesus knows of his coming betrayal, and to us is a snap-shot of the coming rejection of the nation, Israel, He serves Judas one more time. He had told the disciple that the greatest among them would be servant of all…and the Creator God became servant of all. 

 He had told them the first would go last…then He knelt at their feet…their Lord and Master, wrapped a towel around His waist, took a wash basin and began to do the job of the least household slave. The very next day He would give His life for many, but this night he taught them love can come in many forms, and He told them the world would know they are His disciples by their love for one another.
These lessons become real for us as we study, meditate upon, and share them. The Discipleship Formation Small Group and the many teachers of UCUMC want to share with you their faith experiences. The church should be teaching us about God’s love for us, how the experiencing of that care and concern for us leads to our trust, our faith in the one true God. This fall we will be implementing a planned program with that in mind. We earnestly believe that the maturing of the Saints is a very important part and invite you to participate. In August we will have sermons on the process, testimonies of those who have studied in the past and a “Growth in Faith Fiesta” on the 29 Aug.
Come join us and the Lord,

Roger Morgan