In the life of Jesus Christ, we see a living example of the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus modeled love, but He did so in a way that challenges our culture’s understanding of love. In this passage Jesus shows that love is more than romance or a feeling. Fundamentally, love is an action. Jesus demonstrates His love for the disciples by moving straight to where they are least attractive—their feet. We tend to avoid loving less attractive people. We like to love beautiful people so that we can feel better about ourselves.

Knowing God is not an anti-rational mystical experience. Knowing God occurs when the truth overflows from your mind into your entire being. Knowing God is when the truth you’ve heard a thousand times becomes experientially real, and you marvel at the miracle of God’s love for us.

Modern people take the idea of a loving God, which is only found in the Bible, for granted. Yet, the biblical idea of God is so much richer than any simple conception of a loving God. God is both a lover and a king; God is both a judge and a Savior. It is only when we see the tension between all of God’s characteristics that we can truly ponder the love of God.