THE NEW COMMANDMENT

In what sense is Jesus' command to love one another a new commandment? (John 13:34) God had commanded the Israelites to love both fellow Israelites and strangers in the Mosaic Law (Lev. 19:18,34). "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus had repeated this command (Mark 12:31). Jesus, ratifying the Mosaic Law, commanded us to love God and love our neighbors as the two greatest commandments of all time. How, then, can Jesus say to His disciples "a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another" on the night before He died for us on the cross?

The Greek text uses a particular word for "new" that explains the answer to that question.  John expresses Jesus' command with καινος as opposed to the synonym νεος. In many contexts, the two words for "new" are used interchangeably, but sometimes - as here - there is an important distinction. The word νεος emphasizes new with respect to time, new in reference to something that has recently come into existence.  The word καινος emphasizes new with respect to quality. This is the word used in John 13:34.  The emphasis is on new as opposed to something that has become worn out or damaged by age (Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, p.220.  A good example of this use is John 19:41. Joseph of Arimathea has a "new tomb" (καινος) in which no body had been laid. This was not a tomb that was new because it had been recently carved out of the rock. This was a new tomb in the sense that the tomb was fresh, never been used before. Here is the key to understanding the "new commandment."  The new commandment to love one another is new in the sense of fresh, as opposed to the old commandment that had become worn out by usage. Jesus says, "A fresh commandment I give to you, that you love one another."

The freshness of the command to love one another rests on the foundation of a new standard for love and a new basis for love. The new basis for our love is the cross. We are to love with a "cross love."  Jesus goes on to say that we are to love one another "as I have loved you." Here is the new standard for our love. The Mosaic Law commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Loving another as I love myself is a high calling but a humanly doable calling.  I can (sometimes!) attain to loving someone as I love myself.  It is a fleshly standard - a human standard - for love, but at least it is humanly attainable. The fresh commandment for the new covenant is founded on the standard of Christ's love for us.  Oh, how far I fall short of this standard for love!  My only hope for loving others as Jesus loved me is to love others with His love.  I cannot possibly love as He loved me unless He loves through me.  Please Lord, love others through me - despite me - with your love!