The Word of the Lord.

The Commandment to love isn't new. God in the Old Testament continuously commands his people to Love God and to Love your neighbors. However, what makes this Commandment to Love from the mouth of Christ new is the way that we are to love one another. How did Christ Love us? He came down from heaven, took upon himself the humble form of a servant, and not that of a glorious king, and he lived with us, he taught us the truth, he showed us how to live, he healed us, he made us whole when we were brokenhearted, he died on the cross to destroy our main enemies: Death, Fear, Sin, and Satan. He endured the Holy Passion, so that by his Life, Death, and Resurrection, we shall be redeemed, be made whole, become heirs to God, and sanctified by God's Grace. Christ in divine Love for humanity, with his Father and the Holy Spirit, decided that it was best for all of humanity if he endured the very extremities of pain and hardship, so that humanity can share in God's Love and Life for all eternity, here in this life, and in the Kingdom to come. Therefore, Christ shows us sacrificial Love, the greatest Love of all that we are to imitate in all ways. Greater Love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for one's friends. So therefore, we Christians are to Love one another, laying down our lives for the sake of the other person, for the sake of salvation for the other persons, and for the sake of the ultimate goodness of the people in our lives. He taught us not to be 'nice', or people pleasers, but to Love one another as God throughout history Loved Humanity, even to this day. This includes giving people the Loving and Gracious Truth when they need the Truth. And he taught us to Love one another. Not just the people you like. Not just the popular people. ONE ANOTHER. So go, with this knowledge from Christ our Lord, this commandment to sacrificially love one another, to give Christ's Love to one another, without partiality, without prejudice, without any limit. Lay down your life for one another. Amen.