阅读经文 

我常常想我应该学习说西班牙语。我在大学里修过这课，但从那以后就逐渐淡忘了。我经常拿出单词卡，或尝试练习开口说西班牙语，但我从未坚持下去。

到目前为止，我可以说我想要学这门语言，但这并没有多大意义。如果我真的相信这很重要，我会更加努力，坚持到底，这样我就真的能学会西班牙语了。

在这段经文中，耶稣告诉祂的门徒要彼此相爱，因为这样做，别人就知道他们是祂的门徒了。耶稣知道，我们的行动会显明我们的动机和我们真正所信的，祂鼓励跟随祂的人藉着彼此切实相爱活出他们的信仰。

耶稣知道，如果对周围人有一颗刻薄的心，那么即使讲一篇恩典的道也毫无益处。此外，如果忽略别人的各种需要，那么即使告诉他们神的爱也是徒劳无功。我们乃是蒙召向周围人真实地活出耶稣的爱，这样，他们就会知道我们真的相信神的爱，以及祂带给世界的福音。

如果我们想成为有果效的门徒，指引他人相信基督，我们的见证实际上就始于我们对待他人的方式。

I have often thought I should learn to speak Spanish. I took classes in college, but my knowledge since then has faded. From time to time I've picked up vocabulary cards or done Spanish-speaking exercises, but I have never really kept up the effort.

Up to this point, I can say that I want to learn the language, but that doesn't mean much. If I really believed it was important, I would make more of an effort and follow through so that I really do learn Spanish.

In this passage, Jesus tells his disciples to love one another because by doing so people will know they are his disciples. Jesus knows that our actions reveal our true beliefs and motivations, and he encourages his followers to live out their faith by loving one another well.

Jesus understands that it doesn't do any good to preach a gospel of grace but to have a critical spirit toward the people around us. Further, it doesn't help people to tell them that God loves them but to ignore their various needs. We are called to truly show the love of Jesus to the people around us, and by that they will know we really believe in God's love and his good news for the world.

If we want to serve as effective disciples and point others to faith in Christ, our witness actually begins with the way we treat people.