The gospel this week is from the Gospel of John and provides us with a very different recount of the events of the Last Supper. This gospel was written well after the death of Jesus and provides us with very rich imagery and clear implications for life.

Have you ever thought what it really means when Jesus commands us to love one another? At first, it seems like a simple commandment: I can love my family; my friends; I can even feel love for some people I’ve never met. But there was a condition that Jesus placed on the command: love one another as I have loved you. How did Jesus love? Without restriction and without seeking something in return. He loved those that no one loved and he even loved those who hated him and sought his downfall. Can I love those who hate me? Those that others ridicule and despise? Can I love without counting the cost?

As Christian people, we believe that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. To look upon another person with love and compassion is to see the face of God revealed. When we are called to love, we are called to recognise that every single person is worthy of love and every single person is made in the image of God – even ourselves!