NO GREATER LOVE

Behind the Veteran’s Administration building, in Salem, Oregon, you can find what has become know as "memorial walkway". This is a pathway among memorials to various wars and military actions of the United States. The World War I memorial has a statue of a foot solder with rifle and bayonet. The inscription on the marble base reads: “ there is no greater love than to lay down ones life.” John 15:13

While walking past, I was challenged to wonder if this is what Jesus really had in mind? Is Jesus saying that as he died we shall die also? Is taking a gun into war, to kill and be killed, the greatest expression of God’s love?

The quote “no greater love” is found in the Gospel of John chapter 15. This is where we find Jesus using the image of the grape vine and branches. “I am the vine, you are the branches,” he says. “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” (John 15:5), and
“I appoint you to go and bear much fruit” (John 15:16), then finally: “I am giving you these commandments so that you may love one another (John 15:17). It is in the middle of his discourse on the vine and branches that Jesus says: “This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down ones life for one’s friends”. (John 15:12+13)

Because Jesus is impressing upon his disciples that they are to be continually connected to him for life; and that life is validated in the production of fruit – it follows that he would want them to have long and productive lives. In fact, Jesus only speaks of death when he says that the non-productive branches (those that do not bear fruit) will be cut off all together.

When Jesus says: “Love one another as I have loved you”, it runs counter to logic that he is meaning, “go die for one another.” For one reason, he is speaking well before his own crucifixion. For another reason, the word for love does not imply a one-time event. Rather, the idea Jesus is expressing is a life of love. Jesus intends theirs to be a continual life of loving as he had loved them, connected to him and bearing much fruit.

In this context, “laying down ones life for others” would most likely mean to put aside ones personal interests; in order to take up someone else’s. Here I find a theme also present in statements like, “those who loose their lives will find them”. (Mark 16:25)
We are called to put aside our lives of self-service and live as a servant to others. In self-giving service we find the life Jesus intends for us to have. After all, as Paul writes: “Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7)