Maundy Thursday: The LOVE Command
EVER WONDERED WHAT 'MAUNDY' THURSDAY MEANT? 'Maundy' means commandment. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us an important commandment:
"Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35
If you were to ask me what draws me most to a relationship with Jesus Christ, it would be this message.
It is my belief that the central message of Jesus was LOVE. In fact, He said it himself:
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.
Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him,
“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this:
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a]
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b]
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c]
There is no commandment greater than these.”
Matthew 12:28-32
If you speak with an atheist, they will point to all of the horrible crimes against humanity that have been committed in the name of God.
That certainly is true.
However, they were not committed by the command of God.
The most important lesson I've learned in the past year of reading the Bible: There's a great difference between when others have used God's words for their own political or monetary gain, versus what God was actually trying to teach us.
Go to the source. Focus on what God says.
"Love one another."
Incredible that Jesus was able to say this, even as He knew that within days He would be led to the cross to willingly bear the burden for our sins.
But rise in triumph three days later.
That is love.
Here's the link to the artwork, and a blog with beautiful historical Christian artwork:
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