How to spot a true disciple of Jesus...

Jesus is sharing what is commonly called the "Upper Room Discourse" in this portion of John 13-17 and He introduces what I believe to be a neglected truth with his disciples in John 13:34,35.

 "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."

There are three critical things for me in these verses that impact my concern about how others are impacted by my Christian testimony as a follower of Christ.

1.  This is NOT a new command, that they love one another.

2.  There is, however a new characteristic of this love--"as I have loved you."  It would be instructive to see just how Jesus has loved them--from calling Matthew, loathed by the people as a tax collector, to Peter, an uncultured fisherman with a sense of impulsive bravado.  Jesus has loved them unconditionally and He will love them sacrificially.

3.  The culmination of this happening is that ALL men will know that these men are His disciples, true followers of Christ.

I am grieved by these words for they are not a picture of how we operate within the body of Christ.  How is it painfully possible that someone could disparagingly observe, "The church is the only army that shoots its wounded." Whether it is denomination vs. denomination, faction vs. faction, board vs. pastor, the church vs. the world, one member vs. another,etc.--it is clear that the picture painted of the church today is not one reflective of Christ's design of body life wherein when one part of the body suffers we all suffer, and when one part rejoices, we all rejoice together (see I Corinthians 12:26).  There is the often-ignored idea that as believers we "belong to one another".

This is not about whether or not we should cry out against heresy that diminishes the authority of the Word of God or the deity of Christ; rather, it is about how we treat other believers with whom we may disagree, or from whom we feel estranged.  

The world is confused.  What they see as they view the church is something unfortunately different than what we are commanded by Jesus to do.  His example is one for us to remember, especially when we contemplate His unconditional and sacrificial love for us.

I want ALL who know me to know that I am a true disciple of Christ.  Here's the way I can do it, by God's grace--"simply" love my brother disciple as Jesus loves me.