John
15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends.
This
statement by the savior himself has puzzled and perplexed me off and on over
the years. In my youth it seemed quite straight forward. Christ, the son of
God, was declaring to what extent his love for us would take him, to the Mount
of Olives and on to Golgotha. He would
Die for us. Which is true.
We
have been taught that the pure love of Christ, or Charity, is a trait that is
worthy of our efforts to obtain for ourselves and not just obtain, but to emulate.
Does that mean, we too must Die for the ones we love, our friends, in order to
truly follow in his footsteps. To become like him.
Just
previous to this classification of what great love is, the Lord gives a commandment
that harkens back to the two greatest commandments. He declares in John 15:12 -
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
I
know that my death would not be seen as a sign of love from my wife and
children, my brothers and sisters, my co-workers and colleagues. So how can
that equate to the Greatest of Loves?
Although
the savior did die for us, he did not use that term. He used the term “lay down
his life.” I think that that is really the key to understanding what he is teaching
here, it is why he was so saddened when he returned from his father’s presence to
find his “friends” fishing once more, having returned to their lives.
When
your children come to you and ask for help, do you tell them you need 5 more
minutes, or do you think to yourself, “I love you”, and stop what you’re doing,
laying down your life, and giving it to them for that small moment so they can
show you a picture of something colorful and unrecognizable.
When
you here that someone miles away needs help with something that seams meaningless
and a huge time suck and completely unworthy of your time when you already feel
like you are overwhelmed with what’s already on your plate, and you go and help
anyway, never mentioning the sacrifice you made to be in there presence. Is
that not the Greatest Love?
I
think it is important that he said that life is “laid down” because when you return;
it is still there. It still needs to be done, and lived. I also think it stands
out that he is not asking you to do this just for a Stanger, a nameless face in
the crowd, that just stands in need. The Son of Man specifies that this Love,
greatest of all is done for a Friend. That is not to imply that we should not
do service for strangers because then it doesn’t really count. No I don’t mean
that at all, nor do I think that the greatest of all did either. Service to a
Friend, that is the level of association we should develop and foster with those
that we serve, those that we love.
I
know I have served many people that I knew nothing about, moving their stuff. “STUFF!”
I remember talking to a mother and daughter
as they were leaving there pew in the chapel after a sacrament meeting and saying
something to the effect of, “I think your daughter left her stuff”. The mother
turned to her daughter and said something like, “Love, you don’t want to leave
your treasures behind.” The daughter
quickly and eagerly complied. I am still trying to take positive action from
that lesson. I have worked in yards
removing blackberries and cutting and hauling fire wood, helped build and
remodel homes, never even knowing who they were that I served, not even their
names. To be fair I have been ok with that, but maybe I should care more, I
know the savior would.
I
have heard lots of definitions in my life as to what “Love” is and almost as
many variations on what it means to be “a friend.” Christ’s definition here in the
following two verses seams to stand in stark contrast to what I have heard
before. John 15:14
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
This
definition terrifies me. It sounds like every Popular Mean girl trope ever presented
in literature or Video format. Where every reader or viewer on the outside
instantly sees as Toxic, and Abusive, and you just want to grab there poor
little minions and say “Run away”! But this is the sacrificial lamb the linchpin
of the Father’s plan of happiness, saying the equivalent of, “You will do it if
you love me.” It is like he wants you to be his Servant. He even points this out as Christ goes on to
say in verse 15
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant
knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things
that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
The
Master calls them friends because he shares with them the Why of his
commandments. He is sharing with them his burdens, the demands on him and his
time. He is sharing the most important things of his life with them. He is
sharing with them the gospel that he received from his father, our Heavenly Father.
It is that sharing of knowledge and burden that makes us more than servants in
the Savior eyes, but his Friends.
As
has been said before, “the miracle was not that the Savior Died, but that he
lives again.” My I invite you all too Lay down your lives a little more often, and
to make a friend out of those your serve. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
