"Jesus, the Radical"~John 13:31-35~May 19, 2019~St. Peter's UCC

There exists an old saying that one of the roles of Jesus is to not only comfort the afflicted, but to also afflict the comfortable.  Yes, Jesus was compassionate, empathetic, and gentle.  However, Jesus' main role was to challenge and transform preconceived notions of God and relationships while pushing back against apathy, hypocrisy, and idolatry.  Most of us prefer the image of the gentle Jesus for a number of reasons.  Perhaps it is because we tend to be conflict avoidant; maybe we find ourselves afflicted in some way and in need of Jesus' comfort; I am guessing most of us don't want to see Jesus as afflicting our apathy..

As has been noted, when we find ourselves within the Gospel of John we have to be prepared to have our world and preconceived notions turned on their ear and transformed.  Our text this week - like so many others - might seem straight forward.  Jesus, gathered with his friends and followers during his last hours - in what must have been a most emotional and vulnerable moment for them all - offers a new teaching, a new commandment:  to love one another.  But it is not just that Jesus' followers are to love one another, they (we) are called to love in the same way Jesus loved - in the same manner - with the same essence - with the same fulness of self.

This teaching is, I believe, the most radical of Jesus' teaching and perhaps the most controversial.  We tend to consider love as an emotion that comes from the heart.  However, Jesus' love command calls us to a much greater standard and fullness.  It requires much, much more of us and from us - perhaps more than we are willing or at times, able to give.

It might be strange to think of "love" as a radical concept or teaching, but this is John's Jesus we are talking about - the one who turned water into wine and who raised Lazarus from the dead.  Maybe that is how we should consider this final command Jesus gives.