LENT - WEEK 4 - MONDAY

LESSON: JOHN 15:12-17

“As the Father has loved me, so have I love you; abide in my love.” John 15:9

In His feeding of the five thousand, our Lord gives us a splendid example of His manifold love for men. In the first place, His miracle in providing so much food is not performed only for the benefit of His godly followers who followed Him for the sake of His works and words. It benefited also those who were concerned only about their bodily welfare, who sought only food, drink, and temporal honor from Him.

Soon after this, Jesus set some of these people straight at Capernaum when He said, “You seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26). They actually wanted to take Jesus by force and make Him their king (John 6:15).

Here, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sends His rain and lets His sun shine on the evil and on the good (Matthew 5:45).

In the second place, we should note how Jesus, in a most friendly manner, bears with the crudeness and weak faith of His disciples. His testing question to Philip and his apparent appeal to reason, and Andrew’s rather childish contribution to the matter under discussion, are recorded here to bring to light the imperfection of the apostles. Over against all this, His own love and friendly treatment of them shines forth even more beautifully and with greater love.

All this should stimulate our faith and act as an example for us to follow. The members of our body and all creatures also offer us common instruction. For all that God has created is full of love; the one creature bears, helps, and rescues the other.

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PRAYER: Lord Jesus, your love for us was truly wonderful and passing knowledge. Let this love always be aglow within us so that we accept it in true faith for our salvation and practice it for the benefit of all our fellowmen, for your love’s sake. Amen.