Look Around – The Second Great Commandment

Look Around

The Second Great Commandment

Matthew 22.38, 39

“This is the great and the first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

John 13.3-5

“Jesus…rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel…”

Pay attention!

The big difference between Jesus and His disciples in this situation had to do with what they saw when they entered that room. The disciples doubtless looked around to figure out who would sit where. Perhaps they were thinking about the food they would shortly consume. Luke tells us that they were actually fighting among themselves about which of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God (Lk. 22.24-27)! While the disciples are all consumed with thinking about themselves, Jesus is looking around and seeing an entirely different scenario. There’s a need here. They must not eat without washing their feet. But who would do the washing? No servant was in the room, only Jesus and the twelve. They were distracted by other things. So Jesus, discerning the need, took it upon Himself to fulfill it. This is what love does. It doesn’t focus its attention on its own things; instead, it looks to the needs of others, is attentive to their concerns, and considers how best to alleviate that need or concern. Love listens, observes, and feels what others feel.

In a situation with other people, do you find that your outlook is more like the disciples or like Jesus?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.