1 John 3:13-17: a reflection

13Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. 15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

John teaches us what real love is, and how it shows itself. We know love, he says, by this: that Christ laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. Love, at its heart, is self-giving, as Christ's was. And then John brings it down to the practical: whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Real love opens its heart and hand to those in need.

Notice how John moves from the highest example of love to its most practical expression. The highest love is Christ laying down his life for us; and we are called to that same self-giving love. But John does not leave it as a lofty ideal; he makes it concrete: if you have goods and see a brother in need but close your heart, God's love is not in you. Real love is not merely a feeling or a word; it shows itself in opening our hearts and hands to those in need. Love that closes its heart to the needy is not the love of God.

That gives us a searching test of our love. It is easy to speak of love, even to feel it; but John says love is proven in action, especially toward those in need. When we have the means to help a brother or sister in need, and yet close our hearts, our love is exposed as empty. Do not let your love be mere words or feeling. Let it show itself in action: open your heart and hand to those in need, rather than closing them. When you see someone in need and have the means to help, do not close your heart; that closing exposes an empty love. Real love, the love of God, opens the heart and hand to the needy, following the pattern of Christ, who laid down his life for us.

Lord, John teaches me that we know love by this, that Christ laid down his life for us, and that we ought to love in the same self-giving way; and he makes it concrete: whoever has goods and sees a brother in need but closes his heart, God's love does not abide in him. Give me a searching test of my love. It is easy for me to speak of love, even to feel it; but you say love is proven in action, especially toward those in need. When I have the means to help someone in need, and yet close my heart, my love is exposed as empty. Keep my love from being mere words or feeling. Let it show itself in action: help me open my heart and hand to those in need, rather than closing them. When I see someone in need and have the means to help, keep me from closing my heart. Real love, your love, opens the heart and hand to the needy, following the pattern of Christ, who laid down his life for me. Fill me with that love, and let it show in what I do.