But the cost of NONdiscipleship is far greater – even when this life alone is considered- than the price paid to walk with Jesus

– Dallas Willard

Consider what the cost of discipleship is… loss of certain earthly relationships, loss of some moments of happiness from self-gratifying activities, apparent lack of freedom (not actual).

Then consider the counter… loss of abiding in the peace of Christ while living a life of love with a faith that sees everything in God’s perspective all with a hope that stands in the face of the fiercest of adversity.

I would rather forfeit the former things than the latter.

Journal: Verses like this have always just been filer space for me. I think, “Yeah, yeah. Love one another. I get it.” Of course knowing my actions and inner dialogue better than anyone except God himself, I know deep down that I don’t actually “get it” all the time. This time I decided to do a little more digging because the “old command” AND “new command” parts are a little interesting when you think about it. Is John telling us something we already know or something new we are supposed to do? Yes.

First off, the old command has a few parts to it. One, it actually is an old command according to Leviticus 19:18 which says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” In that sense, quite literally it is an old command. Another way of looking at it however is that love was woven into our DNA “in the beginning” which is a place where Jesus also was (see John 1:1). At the fall however we see a huge disconnect happen. Our need for love remains completely intact, while our ability to give it becomes impaired by the introduction of the concept of “me”.

Therefore we see that we are being told here that this is something we have know all along. It is woven into our being that we need to love other people because we too desperately want to be loved in return. This is another case of being asked, “I know you know this, but can you do it?”

For example, we are on spring break in St Simon as I write this. Three of our interns came with us to help with our kids and to have a fun spring break of their own. In the midst of joking around last night, one of them found out some terrible news. This is where the idea of knowing love and doing it really becomes apparent. The two who were not directly effected by the news could have continued watching their movie after saying, “We love you and we will pray for you.” Instead however, they sat on our balcony until after midnight demonstrating this love by talking to, encouraging, and supporting the third girl.

As an old command, they understood the need they would have if the situation were reversed, but they went the direction of the new command by demonstrating what Jesus would have done. He too would have “shown love not just known it.”