SCRIPTURE: John 15
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [John 15:12]
If someone were to ask me to summarize the message of Jesus, I would point to this verse.
This verse stresses God’s radical love for us (how we are forgiven and set free), but also our radical love for others.
The good news is not just that God loves me, but that I can love others just as He has loved me.
That is a part of the radical freedom that He has given to me.
Radical love is merciful love (not treating someone as they deserve) and gracious love (treating someone as they do not deserve).
It approaches those that reject us, forgives those that harm us, loves those that hate us, blesses those that curse us.
It does not give up on others, no matter how far gone they get – it always hopes, always perseveres, never fails.

When Jesus commanded His disciples to make more disciples, He asked them to teach new disciples to obey everything that He commanded them.
Jesus does not issue too many commands, but He does focus on a few important ones, and He does summarize them in this one command: This is my command: Love each other. [John 15:17]
The church has often debated, and often fought over many of the secondary and obscure commands in the bible, but I figure we should not focus on them until we are fairly clear about this one.
Once we get to the place where we radically love other people, then we can discuss the finer points of the Law of God.
Chances are, the nature of our debates will change, and the result will be less division and animosity.

But radical love is hard… no, it’s impossible for us.
We cannot do it ourselves, therefore we need to desperately cling to Jesus, so that His Spirit can produce the fruit of radical love in us.
The whole opening section about the vine and the branches explains how we will be able to produce this kind of love.
And we will need His strength and support, because we can be guaranteed to face ridicule and opposition for it.
Just like Jesus did; go figure, practice this kind of radical love and you will face opposition!
But we must persevere, and to that end He will give us His Spirit, as we cling to Him, and His Spirit will remind us of what is true and good and right, and enable us to produce it.

Apart from me you can do nothing. [John 15:5]
Does your life reveal the radical love (fruit) that was evident in Jesus’ life?
Are you clinging to Him for it, eagerly desiring this kind of fruit and relying on His Spirit to produce it?

PRAYER:
Lord, apart from You I can do nothing. With Your help, I can love others as You have loved me. This seems impossible, radical, unbelievable, but with You in my life it is possible and believable – and still radical!