Love is the hardest lesson

"Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity; but for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it." So wrote William Penn, the founder of the state of Pennsylvania. While it may seem strange to think of love as being taught, yet the Bible clearly shows that it can be. (1 Thess. 4:9, 10)

The word "disciple" literally means a learner or a pupil, and God’s Son on the night before his death, told those whom he had trained and taught: "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves."—John 13:35.
Love of that kind must be rare, so rare that it would make Jesus’ true pupils or disciples stand out among all other persons on earth and be their distinguishing mark. It did in Jesus’ day; does it today? Look at the newspapers, listen to the radio reports, or just examine the scene around you wherever you may now happen to be. Do you not see what the apostle Paul said you would, when he wrote: "But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, . . . disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, . . . without love of goodness, . . . puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away"? (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Why, Jesus foretold that the lack of true love he said: "And because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off." That spells danger.—Matt. 24:12.

What kind of love do you have? Would it, does it, distinguish you from people in general and identify you as a follower, disciple or pupil of Christ Jesus?