John 13:31-35 (NRSV)
Read John 13:31-35 on biblegateway.com
Verse 31When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. Verse 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Verse 33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' Verse 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. Verse 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Devotion
Life today is complex. It’s hard to keep up with developments in technology, medicine, the environment and the like. Even personal matters are complicated by a bewildering array of information.
But when it comes to how to live our lives, Jesus makes it simple. There is only one consideration: We are to love one another. This is the mark of the church of Jesus Christ — that we love one another as Jesus loved us. We are to be living examples of this love, a love for which Jesus was willing to give his life.
What does this mean? It means that we live our lives in the intersection of what we can be passionate about, what the world desperately needs and what we are gifted to do. Then we love one another as Jesus loved us!
Prayer
Most holy Lord, we ask for a vision of a simpler lifestyle. May we see that when you are at the center of our lives, the complexities fall away. We pray that we can discern what needs to be accomplished in the world. Grant us the passion to actively bring our talents to this task. In your name we pray. Amen.