Jesus Christ said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."- John 15:13

Ode to Romeo for dying with Juliet! Hail the heroes who died at battle for their queens! Salute the martyrs who have died for their beliefs. It is no easy task for a person to die for another person.

Even it seems Jesus supports this cause. But really, what was Jesus saying? Let's take a relook at the quote, "Greater love has no one than this", focus now, "that he lay down his life for his friends".

Lay down his life... this seems normal until you realize that laying down your life for a cause doesn't mean you will kill yourself for it. No! It simply means you are ready to sacrifice anything for your belief in the cause.

If we hail the people who have died for love, then we should worship those who stay alive for love. Death is no proof of love. And Jesus never told anyone to commit suicide in the name of love, in fact, he is against suicide.

A person worth dying for should be worth living for, right? Let's use an illustration.

Mr. X never compliments his beautiful wife, he never tell her how beautiful she is. He never tells her of his whereabouts, never asks about her day went. Never thanks her for the delicious meals she prepares. He beats her anytime she laments on her busy schedule. Tragically, gangsters visit them. Within a flash, they are pointing a gun at Mrs. X. Mr. X suddenly stands in front of his wife, in a bid to block his wife from being shot. The gangsters push the trigger and Mr. X dies.

Mr. Y, unlike Mr. X, never beats his wife. He does everything Mr. X never did. He comes home early, calls his wife whenever they are not together. He is the total opposite of Mr. X. He worships his wife. They grow old together and die in each other's embrace, in the presence of their children and generations of great grandchildren.

Now, the question is, who loved his wife more? X or Y?

X died for his wife. Y lived for, and died with, his wife. Can X's disparagement, maliciousness, criticism, abuse, backbiting, denigration, and abasement of his wife be compared to Y's classy style of dealing with his wife? The point of love is happiness, joy. A person you love should get joy from you and not sorrow. It is obvious X never gave his wife anything to smile about, whilst Y made his wife smile all their lives. What greater love than to live for another person. This goes beyond marriage, that's why I am glad that Jesus used friend, and not a more complex relationship.

We can safely conclude that there is no greater love than living for/with your friends.