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To my mind, verses 9-11 should be read with last week's passage since they continue elaborating on the relationship between Jesus and his disciples.
However, a dramatic shift takes place in verse 12.
Jesus shifts the focus to the relationship the disciples are to have with each other.
Jesus commands them to love one another as he has loved them.
Personal aside. Unlike John 13:34 where many translations put in a period to break it into two: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I loved you, so also you should love one another" - I think it is crucial to keep "as I have loved you" as part of the commandment because this describes the quality of the love we are to have for one another. It also states more clearly that we are to love as we have been loved. That is, we are to begin with the love we have already received from Jesus. "Love one another" leaves it up to each person to decide what "love" is.
Jesus then removes any sense of honour status differences between himself and his followers: "You are my friends." Their relationship is no longer one of slaves who do what the master wants; or of clients seeking favours from a patron; or as disciples seeking teaching from a master.
They are friends - they are equals who have a solemn obligation to look out for each other's good - even to the point of laying down one's life (something one would normally only do to defend the honour of a blood relative.)
And they are not just friends with Jesus. Jesus is commanding them to be friends with one another since that is how he loves them.
That we are commanded to be friends, and that Jesus stresses it is not we who chose him, but rather he who chose us, emphasizes that "friendship" is not "liking;" is not about feelings at all.
Whether we like one another or not, Jesus commands us to look out for each other's good - even to the point of giving our life.
But the point is not that we should be friends. We are friends for a purpose. Jesus appoints his friends to bear fruit - fruit that lasts.
So as we look around church on any given Sunday, we may see people that we know and like, know and don't like, or don't know at all. Whatever. Jesus is commanding us to look out for each other's good, so that we might bear fruit, fruit that endures.
Are we committed to looking out for each other's good? If not, we'd better start working on that. If we have achieved that happy state - great - but let's not stop there. Are we also bearing fruit? Fruit that lasts? Then we are indeed abiding in Jesus and he in us.
David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca
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