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For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Since the fall into sin, we have been faced with the question, \u201cWhere is your brother?\u201d Intuitively, we know the answer. And yet with Cain, we often reply, \u201cI don\u2019t know. Am I my brother\u2019s keeper?\u201d (Genesis 4:9). This dark thread of sibling conflict weaves its way through the Old Testament.

Consider the decades long feud between Esau and Jacob that had Jacob running for his life. Joseph\u2019s brothers were so jealous of the special treatment he received from dad, they planned to kill him. In the end, they didn\u2019t, but they did sell him as a slave. When they reconnected with him in the throne room of Egypt, they were petrified he would seek revenge.

There were also David\u2019s brothers who thought he acted all high and mighty. There was deadly conflict among David\u2019s children. God might have asked all these folks, \u201cWhere is your brother?\u201d They would all have answered, \u201cI don\u2019t know. Am I my brother\u2019s keeper?\u201d

Into the New Testament, the rivalries continue. Now its Jesus\u2019 disciples squabbling over which of them was the greatest. I wonder if some of Jesus\u2019 comments aren\u2019t in response to this long history of family feuding. His famous foot washing scene is introduced with \u2018Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end\u201d (John 13:1). It ends with Jesus\u2019 command, \u201cNow that I have washed your feet, you also should wash one another\u2019s feet\u201d (13:14).

It seems clear enough that when Jesus\u2019 followers are asked, \u201cWhere is your sister? Where is your brother?\u201d we should be answering, \u201cRight here with me, because I have been taking care of them.\u201d

Our virtue for today is \u2018mutual affection\u2019. You may know it by another rendering, \u201cphiladelphia\u201d, literally, \u2018brotherly love.\u2019 In the ancient world, it was used to describe blood brothers, sons of the same father. Maybe the phrase, \u2018blood is thicker than water\u2019, harkens back to this word. Family sticks together, always.

Philadelphia is now used to describe the relationship between fellow believers. We all have one heavenly father, drawn into His family through the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood is powerful, breaking down the dividing walls of hostility to create one new family in his body. As Jesus washed our feet, we are to wash each other\u2019s feet. There is just no way around this, we are the keepers of our siblings. John puts it bluntly, \u201cWhoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar\u201d (1 John 4:20).

We have already said several times that these virtues are bracketed by faith and love. They are rooted in faith and demonstrated in love. Tomorrow we will say more about this love. For today, recall Paul\u2019s summary, \u201cThe only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love\u201d (Galatians 5:6). Not just the nice siblings, those easy to love. Philadelphia requires us to get up close and personal where we can see the warts and wrinkles and smell the foul odours and love them still.

What will that look like for you today?

So, as you journey on:

Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18).