Love one another
For the Lesson titled “Love” from January 27–February 2, 2014
“This is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (I John 3:11 , Responsive Reading). And it’s the message that is repeated throughout this week’s Bible Lesson, titled “Love.”
“Love one another.” Such a simple phrase. But does it sometimes seem easier to love anyone else but the one right in front of us? The one who actually might need love the most—our parent, spouse, child, even our enemy? This Lesson reminds us that we are all one family because “Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and Mother of the universe, including man” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 256 , citation 14).
Indispensable to family harmony is obedience to the commandment “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Deuteronomy 5:16 , cit. 4). In Genesis 9:20–23 (see cit. 5), Noah’s son Ham dishonored his father, abandoned him in a state of need, and then prattled about it to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. They, however, in spite of Noah’s condition, acted with filial responsibility, treating their father with love and respect. Ham was the ancestor of the Canaanites, who as polytheists did not honor the one Father, God. In later years, Abraham was adamant that a wife for his son Isaac would not be chosen from among “the daughters of the Canaanites” (see Genesis 24:3 , cit. 9). Abraham appeared to know that “kindred tastes, motives, and aspirations are necessary to the formation of a happy and permanent companionship” (Science and Health, p. 60 , cit. 10).
Daughters who did honor God are the focus of the Moses birth story. Driven by mother-love, a “daughter of Levi” protected her baby, Moses, from Pharaoh’s murderous decree by hiding him in a little ark. Then her daughter (Moses’ older sister) watched over him; and lastly, the daughter of Pharaoh, choosing love over her father’s hate, compassionately adopted Moses, even though he was the supposed enemy of her kingdom (see Exodus chaps. 1 and 2, cits. 11, 12).
The prophet Elisha also knew how to love his enemies. Through God’s power, he miraculously captured the Syrian warriors. The king of Israel assumed they should be killed, but instead, Elisha directed him to offer these men full hospitality and then send them peacefully on their way (see II Kings, chap. 6, cit. 16).
The message to love one another was so fundamental to Jesus’ teachings that he made it a commandment (see John 15:12 , cit. 21). Knowing the effects of love, he empowered his disciples to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils” (Matthew 10:8 , cit. 20). We, too, are blessed with this power of love, for as Science and Health says, “… to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good” (p. 494 , cit. 25).
Every day we have opportunities to practice the commandment to love, especially with those closest to us. Let’s remember that “if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (I John 4:11 , RR).
About the author
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