The New Command; what's so new about it?

[Seeking_the_Wor]

What did Jesus mean by “new” in John 13: 34? Love your neighbor is not new because He said that already and it is in the Old Testament. Some commentators say “love one another” is a specific command to support others in the Christian community. In today’s world, that would appear to translate into a specific command to support other Catholics within our parish.

Is building a loving community within a parish a “command” to the extent that others will notice?

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

What was new was that He didn’t just say to love one another. He said, “Love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.” He didn’t specify a particular area in which we are to love. What He specified was that it be SACRIFICIAL. Then He demonstrated what He meant on Good Friday by what He did. That God would love us to the point of sharing our humanity and allowing Himself to be persecuted and put to death—this is truly new; so new, that the Jews, His chosen people, did not expect it and indeed, couldn’t fathom it.

So He did not tell us to “build community;” He told us to love our neighbor—whoever it is, including people we don’t like and wouldn’t want to associate with.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.