Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

THE LAST COMMAND

This entry was posted on 11-13-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

We are almost at the end of our 40-day journey through the Vineyard of the Lord. I hope that you have learned what it means to be "Juice for Jesus." Now Jesus gives one final command to His disciples. "This I command you, love one another!" (John 15:17 The N.T. in Modern English).

Final directives should be honored. Before Joseph died, he made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here" (Gen. 50:25 ESV). Moses said to all Israel, "Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law" (Deut. 32:46 ESV). Joshua's challenge was: "Choose this day whom you will serve" (Josh. 24:15). Now Jesus issues His last command in His teaching on The Vine and the Branches: "Love one another!"

We can think of all kinds of excuses why we shouldn't do it, but Jesus said, "Love one another!" What kind of disciples are we if we disobey or even disregard this last command to the branches? The Vine is talking here. We are the branches. Infighting among branches would be the ugliest of all fights. It just doesn't happen in the True Vine. Notice that our Lord does not tell us "Tolerate one another" or "Be nice to one another" or "Can't you all just get along?" No, He issues a command, a divine directive. "Love one another." What part of that don't we get? After all, isn't love the "first fruit" of The Vine? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love..." (Gal. 5:22). The love of God within us compels us to love one another. If we don't have love, we are nothing (1 Cor. 13:2). A fruitful branch will show love. You can judge him by his fruit. A fruitless branch shows no evidences of Christian love. They are the barren branches and will surely be cast into the fire. Only lovers go to Heaven. I am going to do my best to obey this Last Command. Even when I don't feel like it, I will love my brethren. Even when it may cost me, I will love my brethren. Even when love may not be returned, discerned, or appreciated, I will love my brethren. How about you?

Hymn: "Yes, by your fruits the world is to know you, walking in love as children of day; follow your Guide, He passeth before you, leading to realms of glorious day. 'I am the Vine and ye are the branches; I am the Vine, be faithful and true. Ask what ye will, your prayer shall be answered; the Father loved Me, so I have loved you.'" (Knowles Shaw)