I tell you most solemnly,
whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
— John 13:20
After washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus reveals something profound about how He will remain with us. He does not only come to us in the ways we expect, but through one another.
This means that when we encounter others, we are not simply interacting with them—we are, in a mysterious and real way, encountering Christ Himself. We speak to Him in them. We serve Him in them.
We nurture Him when we nurture others.
We feed Him when we feed others.
We love Him when we love others.
If Christ dwells within me, then He also dwells within those around me. How easily we forget this. How quickly we focus on flaws, irritations, or shortcomings. And yet, beneath all of that, each person carries within them the presence of God.
This does not deny brokenness or sin, but it invites us to see more deeply, looking beyond what is outward and respond instead to who is truly there.
To live this way is to love differently.
More patiently. More gently. More intentionally.
Because in the end, we are never just loving others—we are loving Christ Himself.
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