The Church Dispersed: Love as Proclamation

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Relevant Scripture: John 13:31-38; 15:12-17
Other references: Word Bible Commentary Vol. 36 on John 13:31–38 and John 15:12-17.

Not that long ago, I assumed loving one another didn’t require us to like one another. After studying the above passages, I’m not so sure.

In these two passages from the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17), Jesus calls the disciples his friends and, in that context, commands them to love one another as he loves them. Jesus loves them as friends and defines the greatest love to be giving one’s life for one’s friends. If loving like Jesus is giving ourselves for our friends, what does loving one another look like, especially as we disperse into daily life?

Recognize that love for one another is required. Jesus’ gracious act of redemption puts us under obligation to love one another, and this love must not and cannot be confined to our gatherings. Jesus states clearly that those outside the church will know we are his disciples because we love one another. Bottom line: those who trust Jesus love those who trust Jesus, whether they are around one another or not.

The measure of love is sacrifice. Given in the context of Jesus’ determination to go to the cross, this command to love goes well beyond “love your neighbor as yourself.” We are commanded to love as he loves, giving ourselves for the good of others, and drawing others to ourselves.

Life is the testing ground. Love is not an emotion that just happens but the decision to consider others as more important than ourselves. It is recognizing that all those who trust Christ are our sisters and brothers and choosing to behave accordingly. Loving is not only in how we act toward one another but also in how we think and feel about one another.

Let’s be honest: we assume our family tensions stay in the family, but that doesn’t actually happen. Our souls leak all over the place. But when love for one another leaks out alongside the struggles, that love becomes a key piece of evidence for God’s gracious redemption in Christ.


Through his sacrificial love, Jesus has made us his friends and friends of one another. Let us commit together to love one another. Jesus is worth it. Our brothers and sisters are worth it. Those without Jesus are worth it. God’s love and grace make it doable.