Jesus had already said that the law and the prophets were summed up by the two great commandments: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. Now he says to the apostles, "...love one another as I have loved you." Once again, this is not something that we are able to do in our own strength. God must give us the grace to do it, but in light of the fact that he has given that grace, we should do what Jesus is commanding us.
Jesus is preparing them for his death on the cross. That is the greater love of which he is speaking. As soon as he mentions laying down his life for his friends, he calls them friends, if they did not know. The apostles are in the inner circle; that's what Jesus means when he's telling them everything. They know the Father's plan, and they will know their part in carrying it out.
It was not their superior knowledge or wisdom that caused Jesus to choose any one of them, but it is a mystery of grace. In a sense, we are chosen in a similar way. We may not think that we deserve any of the blessings God chooses to give us, and we are right. Yet we share our blessings, and more importantly, we share the good news of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father's joy will be the fruit that abides in us.
We must remind ourselves that we can ask Jesus for anything, but what he will give to us is only in accordance with the Father's plan. Let us desire the spiritual gifts that Jesus wants to give us. Those prayers will always be answered. He cares about our material needs as well, but you may notice that he tends to give us what we need, and not necessarily what we want, in that area of life.
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