<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18904">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Can one be commanded to love? The verbs are in the
subjunctive mood, but are typically translated as imperatives. This is not
inappropriate, but it appears that translation as subjunctives might be
better. The subjunctive mood has an element of contingency and
conditionality, such as, in this case, "I have loved you so that you also <SPAN
style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">might</SPAN> love one
another." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>True love cannot be commanded because true love first requires
moving beyond one's own egocentricity. This is quite difficult.
Some people's love is not love at all, but dependence masquerading as
love. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2010/04/lectionary-blogging-john-13-3135.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2010/04/lectionary-blogging-john-13-3135.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>John Petty, 2010</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Indeed, Jesus means for us to follow the pattern he sets for
us, which includes not only loving those who are easy to love, but those who are
very difficult to love as well! We are to show our love through humble
service to the ugly as well as the beautiful, the filthy as well as the clean,
the betrayer as well as the faithful disciple. As scripture tells us,
Jesus loved them – even Judas! – to the very end. That’s a challenge for
us to be sure, but it’s also good news. Our lives are mixtures of faith
and betrayal. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://reflectious.com/2010/04/26/first-look-john-131-35/">http://reflectious.com/2010/04/26/first-look-john-131-35/</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Lee A. Koontz</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Raymond Brown proposes that the idea of newness should be
understood in terms of Jeremiah 31:31-34.1<FONT size=2><FONT size=4> Jeremiah
speaks of the law being written on the heart. In John, the commandment to love
is directly linked to Jesus’ own life, as an expression of that love. The most
immediate precedent is found in 13:3-16, when Jesus washes the feet of the
disciples. Heard in concert with Jeremiah, we understand that love, which is
written on the heart, will manifest itself in servanthood. The other troubling
aspect of this command is that our love is to be directed toward "one another."
Although this can be read as directed only toward the community of believers,
John undermines this inclination with the reminder in 10:16 that Jesus has
"other sheep that do not belong to this fold."</FONT> </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.goodpreacher.com/shareit/readreviews.php?cat=28">http://www.goodpreacher.com/shareit/readreviews.php?cat=28</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify>Holly E. Hearon</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I think Jesus' washing his feet was the last straw for Judas.
More than any of his other exploits, washing grubby feet showed just how low
Jesus was prepared to stoop. Enough is enough! Whatever good there might be in
this fellow, he can't be the Messiah! Messiahs don't do that kind of thing.
Don't get their hands dirty like that. Maybe that's why the 'glory' the church
shows to the world isn't convincing either? But for the opposite reason to
Judas': because <I>we don't get our hands & our hearts dirty as Jesus
does!</I><I></I> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLKJN133135EAST5.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLKJN133135EAST5.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Brian McGowan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line"><FONT
size=4></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line"><FONT size=4>Can I say that my life
models such a purity of heart (“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see
God,” Mt 5:8)? Can I say that no matter what those around me will do, even
if they seek my harm, that my life points to the glory of
God?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><SPAN style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line">The greatest difference
between the “Fresh Commandment” and the “Golden Rule” is that Jesus doesn’t just
tell us how we should behave; he presents himself as the model of that behavior.
It is quite different for one to say, “Here is what you should do,” and, “Do
what you saw me do.”</SPAN></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/John/jn_13_31-35.html"><FONT
size=4>http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/John/jn_13_31-35.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Jerry Goebel: 2005 © </FONT><A
style="COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single"
href="http://onefamilyoutreach.com/"><FONT
size=4>http://onefamilyoutreach.com</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> Chrysostom complained, in his day,
that love was not evidenced in the life of the Christian community. "Even now,
there is nothing else that causes the heathen to stumble, except that there is
not love..... Their doctrines they have long condemned, and in like manner they
admire ours, but they are hindered by our mode of
life."<BR><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Tertullian said of his generation that the heathen held his
congregation in high regard. "'See', they say, 'how they love one
another.'"</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/easter4cg.html">http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/easter4cg.html</A></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT
size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Bryan Findlayson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT
size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - -
-</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>This is bedrock evangelism - Love One Another. It is bedrock
for every on-going faith group (and probably any group one finds
worthwhile).<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007/05/fifth-sunday-of-easter-c4.html">http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007/05/fifth-sunday-of-easter-c4.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Wesley White</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT
size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT
size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>