Love Like Christ

John 13:31-35

At the Last Supper, with betrayal looming and his crucifixion near, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: to love one another just as he has loved them. This command is not about feelings or beliefs but about a way of living—a radical, self-giving, boundary-crossing love. Jesus loved by showing mercy to the outcast, healing on the Sabbath, forgiving enemies, and sacrificing himself for others. In doing so, he did not preach doctrine or demand worship—he simply said, “Follow me.”

Father Mark contrasts this call with the modern perception of Christianity. Despite Christ’s clear command to love, studies show that Christians today are often seen as judgmental, arrogant, and lacking compassion. He challenges the congregation to reflect on whether the image we project to the world aligns with the love Jesus demonstrated. Being a follower of Jesus, he insists, is not about belonging to the right group or believing the right things—it is about embodying Christ’s love in our actions.

In closing, Father Mark reminds us that we are created in God’s image—imbued with divine DNA—but we also carry the aggressive instincts of our evolutionary past. Like the old Cherokee tale of the two wolves, he urges us to “feed the good wolf”—our divine side—by walking the road of love. Our true witness to the world is not in our religious identity but in our sacrificial, active love for others. This is how the world will know we are Jesus’ disciples.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.