In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us with the following words: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you . . . if you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love . . . love one another as I love you . . . no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (see John 15:9-13). Doesn’t this teaching summarize the Christian understanding of “perfect love” that Jesus and the Father have for us? In this passage, Jesus also challenges us to love God in the same way in return. Wow, that seems like a tall order to me!
Jesus ties this love for God to the love we show towards other people (you know: that whole thing about “love one another as I love you . . . and love your neighbor as yourself”). If it’s a tall order to have perfect love for God, then isn’t it true that having perfect love for others is something that is very often even more difficult to accomplish? This has certainly been my experience!
I think we all agree that our Christian faith calls us to give of ourselves, and to love others, in imitation of Jesus . . . and we believe that he has even “laid down his life for us” (see 1 John 3:16). While most of us will never be called to such a profound level of sacrifice for others (although police officers and firefighters come to my mind on this point!), we might ask ourselves “how much am I truly willing to give of myself, and to have love for others?” In answer to this, I’m compelled to recall the Scripture passage that reads: “But God proved his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (see Romans 5:8). It seems to me that we can only begin to imitate the manner in which Jesus loves us when we commit ourselves to having the most basic kind of “respect” for all people. Isn’t this especially poignant when we give of ourselves, and show love towards, those who are “un-loveable,” different and/or who have different values and ideas than we do? And isn’t that actually what the Lord Jesus has done by giving his life for us?
If we can authentically love those who are difficult to love, then it seems to me that only then will we be able to understand the demonstrable “perfect love” that Jesus and the Father have for us. In a way then, we might say that those in our lives who are difficult to love “show us the way to the Father.” Isn’t that ironic, but so true! Once we figure out the whole “love one another as I love you” mandate of Jesus, then I believe we can enthusiastically take the next step which is that of committing ourselves to a life of service to others, especially to the most needy. The service that we do for others, born out of Christian love, might be demanding, but isn’t it an obligation we must embrace? Isn’t it also something we are called to do with generosity of heart?
May we always be eager both to give and to receive the love of God. May the manner in which we live our lives, especially the way we relate to our brothers and sisters on the journey, always reflect the love of the Father! May people know us as followers of Jesus by the way in which we show that love for God, and in the manner we respect and serve one another, especially those who are most in need!
Christ is Risen, Truly, He is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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