John 15:12-27  "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."

Love, agape love, love that gives; love that sacrifices. This love is a verb, not an emotion.  It is the greatest kind of love.  Love that gives up self for others. Love that comes from God.
Jesus told His disciples that He would call them "friends". Friend - ( philos) - dear, fond, associate.  He chose them and appointed them to bear fruit.  He gave them the promise of the Father, that they might ask and be granted fruit that would remain. He loved them that much.  He loves us that much.

The world does not know this kind of love.  They actually hate it.  They hate Jesus and they hate the Father.  They hate the followers of Christ also, for we bear the likeness of our Savior.
Hatred - love-less; to detest; to persecute. They hate without a cause. ( v25).  They hated Jesus then and they hate Him now.  It always amazes me that the Christians are persecuted the most.  They are the least likely to harm anyone else, so why?  It is only because the world still hates Jesus.

Father in Heaven,  we honor Your holy Name.  We desire Your kingdom to come... where love will be freely given and hatred will be no more.  We pray for Your will to be done, here on earth, in this world where hatred seems to dominate, may Your love abound more and more.  Help us to love, more and more. To lay our lives down for our friends. To give them the good news of Your love by all we say and all we do.  Give us all that we need to accomplish Your purposes.  Forgive us for failing to love. Help us to love and forgive those who have hated us.  Lead us away from the temptation to return evil for evil, but may we overcome evil with good.  Deliver us from the deceiver, the evil one, who tries to lead us away from You.  We desire to obey the command of Christ, to love one another.
We ask that You will enable us to do so, for we ask it in His Name. Amen.