John 15:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He does not speak simply of love, but also indicates the manner of love: “as I have loved you.” Then He again shows that He departs not from hatred but from love. For this very reason, He says, you ought especially to glorify Me, since I lay down My soul for you.

Yet He nowhere says this in exactly that way. Earlier He did so when portraying the good shepherd. Here He instructs the disciples and shows both the greatness of love and what He Himself is like.

Why does He everywhere exalt love? Because it is the mark of disciples and the confirmation of virtue. Therefore Paul also speaks so much about it, as a true disciple of Christ who learned it by experience.

At the same time He shows us the path by which we are to keep the commandments: through the keeping of one commandment, the commandment of love. When He says, “Love one another, even as I have loved you,” He thereby indicates the measure and perfection of love.

They must be ready, without hesitation and willingly, to undergo even bodily death itself. For the power of the love of our Savior reached even to this limit.

To say this was nothing other than to encourage the disciples to extraordinary and unusual courage.

It was to urge them toward the highest brotherly love, to build up a brave and God-loving disposition of soul, and to summon an invincible and unconquerable zeal toward fervent desire to do everything most pleasing to Him.

Paul showed himself to us as such when he said: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

And again: “For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus, that One died for all, therefore all died” (2 Cor 5:14-15).

And besides this: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Rom 8:35).

Do you not hear how he proclaims that absolutely nothing can resist or cut them off from love for Christ?

And since even guarding the flocks and feeding the lambs of Christ is also a work of love toward Him, is it not perfectly clear what He means?

The one who preaches the saving word to those who do not know God will be above death, stronger than persecutions and the sword, and will utterly despise every distress.

If we must state briefly the meaning of the Savior’s saying, and express in general what He wishes His disciples to do, it is this.

He commands them unfailingly, and with their spirit kept free from every fear, to minister as priests the word of faith in Him and to make the Gospel known to the inhabitants of the whole world.

He says this same thing through the voice of Isaiah: “Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, who bringest good tidings! Lift up thy voice with strength, O Jerusalem, who bringest good tidings. Be strong; fear not!” (Is 40:9).

We see that the holy disciples themselves were able to do this, asking it of God in most earnest prayer.

When they accused the folly of the Jews, they said: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to Thy servants to speak Thy word with boldness” (Acts 4:29).

Very many, without doubt, oppose those who minister the Gospel of Christ and wickedly hinder them.

But even if powerful fear and terrible waves of plots rise up, suffering means nothing to true disciples until their struggles of love are fulfilled.

I mean such love as the Savior showed toward us, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb 12:2), in order to accomplish salvation for those who had sinned.

If He had not willed to suffer for us, we would still be dead, servants of the devil, “fools and blind” (Mt 23:17).

We would have remained deprived of every good, slaves of pleasure and sin, “having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12).

But now the Savior, out of love for us, laid down even His own soul for us.

By showing incomparable love for mankind, He has made us zealous and thrice-blessed, lacking no good whatsoever.

In this sense, I think, the words cited will fittingly apply to the God-inspired leaders of the disciples.

But if one extends this saying to all, namely, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,” the inquiry will yield very great benefit.

For if love for the brethren contains and accomplishes the fulfillment of the whole commandment of our Savior, is not the one who chiefly strives to fulfill it purely and blamelessly worthy of great admiration?

This is so since love is, so to speak, the summing up of all virtues.

For love for one another is second after love for God. The whole power of piety toward God is, as it were, contained in this one “word”: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14).

Yet let us consider what the same Apostle says: “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:10).

Therefore, where love is, what can be lacking? And where it is not, what can be of use?

The demon also believes, but he has no love. Cf. Jas 2:19.

No one has love unless he believes.

One who has no love may, indeed, hope for forgiveness, but he hopes in vain.

Yet one who has love cannot lose hope.

Therefore, where love is, faith and hope are necessarily present.

Where there is love for neighbor, there is necessarily also love for God.

For if a man does not love God, how can he love his neighbor as himself, when he does not love even himself?

Such a man is certainly impious and unjust. And one who loves iniquity surely does not love his own soul, but hates it. Cf. Ps 10:5.

Let us hold fast, then, to the Lord’s commandment: let us love one another.

Then we shall fulfill everything else that is commanded, because love includes everything else.

Whether He said “precept” (praeceptum) or “command” (mandatum), both are translations of one Greek word, namely ἐντολή.

He had already expressed this judgment before, and you should remember that I explained it to you as far as I could.

Indeed, in that place He said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you also love one another” (Jn 13:34).

And now that commandment is repeated.

Only there He said: “A new commandment I give to you.” Here He says: “This is My commandment.”

There He spoke as though there had not previously been such a commandment. Here He speaks as though there should be no other commandment of His.

But there it was called “new” so that we would not remain in our former state.

Here it is called “Mine” so that we would not think it could be neglected.

But what, brethren, should we think concerning what He says here: “This is My commandment,” as though there should be no other?

Is the commandment of that love by which we love one another the only one He has?

Is there no greater commandment, namely that we should love God?

Or has God given us only the commandment of love, so that we should seek no other?

But the Apostle points to three commandments when he says: “And now these three abide: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).

And if those two commandments are contained in love, that is, in charity, nevertheless it is called greater, not the only one.

See, then, how many commandments have been given us concerning faith, and how many concerning hope.

Who can gather them into one? Who can number them?

But let us consider what the Apostle said: “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:10).

Therefore, where love is present, is anything still needed?

And where love is absent, what else can help?

The demon believes, cf. Jas 2:19, but does not love.

No one loves who does not believe.

In vain, certainly, yet nevertheless, one who does not love may hope for mercy.

But one who loves cannot remain without hope.

Thus, where love is present, faith and hope are inevitably present also.

And where love for neighbor is present, love for God is inevitably present.

For one who does not love God, how can he love his neighbor as himself, since he does not love even himself?

Such a man is certainly impious and unrighteous, for he loves iniquity. Not openly loving, but “hating his own soul” (cf. Ps 10:5).

So let us hold fast to this commandment of the Lord, that we love one another.

And let us also fulfill everything else that He commands, because everything else is held by us in this commandment.

Certainly, this love for neighbor differs from the love by which men love one another merely as men.

And so that this distinction may be clear, He added: “as I have loved you.”

For why did Christ love us, if not so that we might reign together with Christ?

So let us love one another for this reason, in order to distinguish this love from the love of other men.

They love one another not for this reason; in fact, they do not love at all.

But those who love one another for the sake of attaining God truly love one another.

And in order to love one another, they love God.

Such love is not present in all men. Therefore only a few love with the aim that God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28).

What is the meaning of this commandment? Without doubt, this: “In everything, as you wish the sons of men to do to you, so also do you yourselves” (cf. Mt 7:12). “Love,” He says, “one another,” and set this measure: “as I have loved you.”

But this is impossible, for Thou art Lord and lovest Thy servants. We are companions to one another. How, then, can we love one another as Thou lovest us? Yet since the Lord has said this, let us see how it happens.

“No one,” He says, “can have greater love than this, that a man lay down his soul for his friends” (cf. Jn 15:13). His love is seen from the fact that He called us friends. But if we lay down our souls for Thee, does our love become equal to Thy love?

Even if we die for Thee, we are mortal. But Thou, being eternally living, didst take upon Thyself the suffering of our death. How, then, shall we interpret this: “as I have loved you”? Let us die, He says, one for another.

Yet we certainly would not even wish to live one in place of another. If I, He says, your Lord and God, die for you, then all the more must you die one for another.

His commandment consists in our loving one another. Therefore to love one another is the same as abiding in Christ and loving God. Hence it also follows that love for God and love for one another are closely connected. By the words “as I have loved you,” Jesus Christ showed that He dies voluntarily out of love for them.

How this love must be kept is taught by Him who, in many thoughts of His Scripture, commands us to love friends as His own, and enemies for His sake. For the one who truly has love loves his friend in God and loves his enemy for God’s sake.

There are some who love their neighbors according to kinship and fleshly relation. The sacred sayings do not, of course, oppose them in this love. Yet one thing is willingly fulfilled by nature, and another is owed in obedience to the Lord’s commandments out of love.

Such people do love their neighbor, and yet they do not attain the higher rewards of love, because they spend their love not according to the spirit but according to the flesh. Therefore, when the Lord said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another,” He immediately added, “as I have loved you.” Clearly He said, as it were: “Love for the reason for which I loved you.”

In this matter, most beloved brethren, we must look carefully. The ancient enemy disposes our soul toward the love of temporal things. Then, from the opposite side, he stirs up against us a weaker neighbor who intends to carry off the very thing we love.

In arranging this, the ancient enemy does not strive to destroy the earthly thing. He strives to kill love in us. Suddenly we are inflamed with hatred. Wishing to be unconquered outwardly, we are inwardly tormented terribly. Defending a small thing outwardly, we lose very much inwardly, because by loving a temporal thing we are deprived of true love.

Everyone who destroys our property is an enemy. But if we begin to nourish hatred for the enemy, we lose inwardly. Therefore, when we suffer something outwardly from our neighbor, we must be watchful against the hidden thief within. He is never more easily defeated than when we love the outward robber.

For the one and chief test of love is this: that we love even the one who acts against us. Therefore the Truth Himself endures the punishment of the cross, and nevertheless expresses love toward His persecutors themselves, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).

What is remarkable, then, if disciples in this present life love enemies, when their Master loves His enemies even while He is being put to death by them?

Rather, it is a friendship in which Christ alone chooses friends for Himself. Not according to their worthiness, but decisively by His grace, He chose them from among sinful men. He took them out of the sinful world (cf. v. 19), communicated to them the power to bear imperishable fruits of apostolic and enlightening activity, and placed them in such an inward relation to God that everything they ask of the Father in the name of the Son will be fulfilled for them.

The holy Apostle Paul says that Christ died for the ungodly and sinners (Rom 5:5-8). This is in no way contrary to the saying under consideration, that the Lord laid down His soul for His friends.

The Apostle speaks generally of the sinfulness of the world, for redemption from which Christ died for all, since this sinfulness extended and extends to all. The Lord, however, speaks particularly of those close to Him, of that small community of friends with whom He was now conversing. They, of course, were also not free from this sinfulness that extends to all.

Elsewhere this commandment is called the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). The followers of Christ must keep this commandment in holiness. Its fulfillment must serve as their distinguishing mark (Jn 13:34). They must do everything for the salvation of each one, and each must do everything for the salvation of all and of each.

“Love one another, as I have loved you,” says the Lord. In what sense does the Lord here point to His love for believers? He points to it as the model for their mutual love and as the motive for the same love.

His mysterious bond with believers requires from them their love for one another. Love one another, because I love you. His love for us must also serve as the model for our mutual love. The Apostle of Christ wrote to believers: “Walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us” (Eph 5:2). What a lofty model this is!

The law of the Lord’s love for man and of man’s love for the Lord was taught by the Lord God to humanity from its very creation and throughout its whole existence. He taught it through the patriarchs, the seers, kings, and prophets. He taught it also through man’s own conscience among all races and tribes.

In that conscience there remained reflections of the original revelations and laws, the so-called laws of Noah. These remained in the memories even of those peoples who did not receive direct revelations as Israel did.

But the fulfillment of the law, that is, its highest understanding, was given to humanity through the Incarnation of God the Word. Love was not only the cornerstone of the Lord’s gospel. He Himself was Love. For He gave His human nature, which He had assumed in order to offer it as a sacrifice for His brethren according to the flesh, over to trampling, mockery, torment, and death.

“This is My commandment,” says the Lord, “that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his soul for his friends.” A new era opens before humanity. Humanity is shown a new path of life, with every selfish thought set aside. Self-sacrifice and love for God and neighbor become the one law that contains all the rest.

God the Father, with God the Son and the God-man, is united in one common love of God for man and of man for his brother. Yet in order that this all-embracing love and joy not be violated, the evil will of man must be suppressed.

Man must love God and love his brother for the sake of that merciful God who suffered for him. This God forgives us our great debts and requires only that we also forgive our debtors (Mt 6:9-15 and parallels; and the parables about debtors, for example Mt 18; Lk 7).

The love of the Lord is, of course, an unattainable model. Yet man must strive toward it, for this striving alone is his happiness and perfection. The love of the Lord is the complete offering in sacrifice of His human self for humanity. From now on, this highest ideal of love, illumining the world, stands eternally before man, who can never forget it.

No theories can darken in the human heart the remembrance of Him who was crucified for our sins. Nor can they erase in it that Love which the Lord planted. From now on it is the law of the human soul, its own possession, its inalienable capacity, even in the soul of those who deny the Crucified One.