What kind of love to live

Have you ever thought about the fact... that when Jesus and the disciples were getting ready for the passover meal, and Jesus, in an act of awesome humility, got down and washed their feet... that he washed Judas' feet too? I mean, he knew already that Judas was going to betray him. He even said that the disciples were clean, "but not all of you". What kind of feelings must Jesus have had when he was washing the feet of this man? At least three more times after that he makes reference to the one who will betray him. What were those moments like when he said those words? What was Judas thinking? How did Jesus feel? To fulfill the scripture that says 'the one who eats my food will betray me',  he handed Judas a piece of bread, dipped in wine. What must have been felt in that moment! When Judas had eaten the food, Jesus sent him to do "what he was going to do". 

Later in the passage, Jesus told the disciples: "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35

Little did they know the extent of what that meant. Jesus had just washed the feet of the man who would betray him to his death. His undeserved, sacrificial death... the death that he willingly went to, 'as a lamb to the slaughter'... out of... love. 

What love is this? How amazing. How perfect, and pure is this love. That Jesus, the God-man, the Holy Son of God, the King of Heavens Armies-- Would not only wash the feet of, but die- a brutal, torturous death- for who? A betrayer. For who? A sinner. For who? For me. 

And we, his children, are supposed to love... like this? Yes.  How? Only by the grace of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit!  Look at how Jesus loved his disciples-- look at how he has loved US! With amazing, self-sacrificing, unconditional, unassuming, immeasurable love! That's what he wants us to do as well. To act as "little Christ's", as C.S. Lewis puts it in Mere Christianity.  Think hard about what that means for you.