Quoting from John Piper's Holy Week devotional,
"Today is Maundy Thursday. The name comes from the Latin mandatum, the first word in the Latin rendering of John 13:34, 'A new commandment (mandatum novum) I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another'. This commandment was given by Jesus on the Thursday before his crucifixion. So Maundy Thursday is the 'Thursday of the Commandment'"
I've long been interested on the depth of what it means for us to love as Jesus loved. Love is about so much more than being nice to someone, but that's part of it. What is Jesus' love really like?
It is sacrificial
It is humble
It is self-denying
It is non-discriminating
It is non-judgmental
It is all-encompassing
It is forgiving
It is tender
It is convicting
It is ever-present
Hannah More, a friend of William Wilberforce, writes of love,
"Love never reasons, but profusely gives; it gives like a thoughtless prodigal its all, and then trembles least it has done to little."
There's no concern as to whether it's too much, or unnecessary. There's no "just enough". Love is not about doing the minimum to get by. It's about being there, and growing through every moment.
Maundy Thursday is all about that radical, incorrigibly giving kind of love. This song's been running through my head all day: Let Us Love by NeedToBreathe
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