So that we wouldn’t miss the point, Jesus demonstrated what true love means. When His disciples argued over who was greatest, Jesus washed their feet. When one of His own betrayed Him, Jesus called Him friend. When men came out to arrest Jesus for crimes He didn’t commit, Jesus healed one of them. When one of His closest companions denied Him, Jesus put him to work in His kingdom. When men drove nails through His hands and feet to kill Him, the Lord of Life prayed for their forgiveness…our forgiveness.

We are reminded of that love in a profound way every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. When we celebrate it in remembrance of Him, we eat and drink the very body and blood that Jesus gave into death for our sins. Yes, God revealed His love to us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). That is, God loved us when we were His enemies!

When Asia was recently hit with a devastating tsunami, many people showed love for strangers by sending money or even traveling there to help them. The same happened when hurricanes devastated Florida. Sadly it is often easier to love people who are far away than it is to love those who are near us. A person will often treat family members with less respect and consideration than he gives to total strangers. We might help the victims of a natural disaster, but automatically assume that the man begging on the street near us is simply lazy. We will give money so that the Gospel is preached far away, but fail to tell our neighbor why we go to church regularly.

So how is this whole concept of loving one another working? It seems to be almost a total failure. Yet it does work. It works when we first are receivers of God’s love for us in Christ. When we experience the forgiveness of Christ we are able to forgive the sins of others. When we eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood, we are strengthened to love those closest to us, those who have also knelt beside us to receive these gifts of the Lord’s Supper. Then the "troublesome" fellow members of our congregation are not so different from us. Then our spouses and family members are seen not as doormats, but as temples of the holy God. When we are aware of the troubles the people around us go through, when we pray for them, when we offer the help we can give; then loving one another works. When at our jobs we view our bosses as people redeemed by Christ, and the backstabbing coworker as someone Jesus came to save, then we can love them. When we truly understand that there is only one thing needful, and that we are richly blessed with it, then we will share it freely with everyone. How does “Love one another” work? It works by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus—Mercies which come to us through Word and Sacrament.

Steven R. Brockdorf is pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church in Hillsboro, Oregon.