Brotherly love is a characteristic Jesus admonished believers to have in John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” While the verse states that it is a new commandment, it was not one that should have caught the Hebrews by surprise. In Leviticus 19:18, a verse all Jews would have known, the law stated that they should love their neighbors as themselves. In John 13:34 it is called new because now it was a trait that would distinguish a body or class of people from others. The Jews had become accustomed to being known by their outward appearance rather than the heart within. Jesus changed that with His command to love one another. It is evidence of our connection with Christ.
This “new commandment” that Jesus gave them would be their distinguishing mark. He goes on in verse 35 to say, “By this (their brotherly love) shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.”
While reading this, you may think it is no big deal—I have this one! Yet, if you are honest with yourself, there are probably those in your congregation whom you have a hard time loving. Why do we feel this way? There could be several reasons.
- You feel you do not have anything in common. To answer this, I would say that if you are a Christian, you are wrong. The most important aspect of your life is your faith. Your faith in Christ should govern your behavior with other believers just as it does with those unsaved. It is a command to love, and God would not require it without enabling you to do it.
I Thessalonians 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
- They don’t run in the same circles that I do. While we each have different things we are involved in, that should not determine our love for one another. I find that age, race, or culture has no place in determining our love for others. We are all one blood, and God sees us all the same. Cultures may be different, but we can use this to expand ourselves and learn from one another. The most important thing is to repent of our prejudices and show genuine love for each other.
I Peter 1:22 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
- They hurt my feelings. This is the most common reason we don’t love as we should. However, it is still not an excuse. In Philippians 2:3 Paul is teaching us to put others above ourselves. When we do that, we are not looking at ourselves and measuring our love by how we feel. We are seeking what is best for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to humility.
Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
I Thessalonians 4:9-10 Paul reminds the church at Thessalonica that they are family. “But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.” We have God as our Father, and we are His children. This bond is a connection on a spiritual level and it is sealed by the blood of Jesus. This family relationship is eternal. It is one that we should cherish and seek to enhance. The more we love God, the more we should love each other. After all, this relationship will go on forever. Paul’s words inspired by God are that we increase our love more and more. Fulfilling this command will take work. It will mean spending time with people to get to know them. It will mean forgetting about yourself and thinking of others first.
Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.”
A church where every Christian is loving all other believers as a family member is a great testimony to the community. It speaks volumes to a world where strife, selfishness, and turmoil are common. As believers, we share a common identity and a common mission that should unite us. We are to seek to deepen that bond, to love as Jesus loves, and to be a family that honors God. Paul gives us an example to follow in Philippians 1:3-8.
Philippians 1:3-8 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Take some time to think about your relationships, or the lack of relationships, that are united by Christ. What are you doing to strengthen those relationships? Are you prejudiced and only seek to know those that you have things in common with? Do you exclude others because of race, education, or financial status? Is your number one concern yourself? How often do you get out of your comfort zone to seek out others? All of these questions can be answered positively if you love like Jesus. When you exalt Him to first place in all you do, you will be able to love others because He loves them.
Hebrews 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.”
