Acts 14:21-27 / Apocalypse 21:1-5 / John 13:31-35
Among all the precious stones and jewels, there is no doubt that the diamond stands at second to none.
In stories and in movies, the diamond is often used to represent beauty and value and even desire.
Even if we don't own a diamond, we would have come across a saying that “diamonds are a girl's best friend”, maybe because diamonds are forever.
The diamond can be said to be forever because it is a very hard stone. Besides being a precious stone, it is also used in industry for cutting, drilling and polishing purposes.
As a precious stone, the diamond catches the attention and admiration, because it sparkles and glitters at every angle.
But the diamonds that we see and know of, is actually the end product of a long and intricate process of cutting and polishing by master craftsmen.
So, it is only in the hands of a master craftsman, and a long process of cutting and polishing, that the diamond becomes beautiful and have value.
But if there is anything more beautiful and precious than a diamond, then certainly it is love. In fact, diamonds without a love story, is just a pretty thing without any meaning.
Love makes everything beautiful and precious, so even a humble simple stone can be precious because of a beautiful love story.
In the gospel, Jesus gave us a new commandment. It does not begin with “thou shalt not … “
Rather, Jesus says this: Love one another; just as I have loved you, you too must love one another.
What is new about this commandment is that it is based on love, and the source of that love is Jesus Himself.
To follow that commandment of Jesus is certainly not easy at all. Because we know that to love and to be loving is difficult and tiring and draining.
Furthermore, we are faced with the bad and evil things of this world and we can become affected by it.
We want to love and to be loving, but instead we become tarnished, disfigured and contorted by the bad and the evil.
But Jesus comes to renew our hearts and to cleanse and heal it of the bad and evil.
Oddly enough, the gospel passage begins with “when Judas had gone … “
We confess that our hearts are tarnished, disfigured and contorted; we confess that we have betrayed and denied the love that God has put into our hearts.
But Jesus is the Divine Healer who will cleanse and purify our hearts of sin and impurities. Jesus is the Divine Craftsman who will polish our hearts like how a master craftsman will polish the diamond, and Jesus will make our hearts shine with His love.
But just as a diamond needs to be cut and polished to make it sparkle and glitter, Jesus will use the cross to purify our hearts and make it shine.
Because on the Cross, Jesus showed how beautiful and precious God's love is for us.
When we accept the crosses that come into our lives, let us remember that Jesus is cleansing and purifying our hearts.
When we embrace the crosses of our lives, then our hearts will shine brighter than any precious diamond.
And the new commandment from Jesus becomes a new love story shining from our hearts, a story that will tell others of God's beautiful and precious love for the world.