John 13: 33-38  Judas had left the upper room. Jesus had just announced that He was about to be "glorified".  Now, He tells the eleven.. "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, Where I am going, you cannot come." 

He calls them "little children".  These grown men.. these fishermen; a zealot, and a tax-collector among them.. these faithful believers.. were yet "children".  Babes in faith. The next few days would change them forever. They needed to experience the crucifixion and the resurrection.. they needed to recognize that Jesus was indeed God...that He would rise from the dead and "be glorified" beyond anything that they ever even imagined!  They were not ready to go where He was going... but later.. "you shall follow later.. " They would be ready to lay down their lives for Him.. later.. but even Peter would not last even a few hours... 

Jesus gave the disciples a "new commandment".. a commandment that would lead them into a greater likeness of Himself.. "love one another, even as I have loved you.. love one another."  This is the one command that would distinguish the disciple's of Jesus from any other.  A greater command - a greater love.  "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (15:13)  This "greater love"  would be possible once the Spirit of God came to live in theses "little children" and they grew up into the likeness of the One who loved them first. 

And so it is with all of us.  We are like little children.. beloved.. but needy.. needing the Spirit of God to fill us with His love.. His greater love that is willing to even lay down our lives for others. 

Father, fill us. Spirit of God, flow into us and through us with a greater love.. that we might be like Jesus.. that we might love like He loved us and gave Himself for us.  Amen!