The Great Commandment

 

 Jn 15: 9-17

Love One Another

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other."

Behold the great Template and Legacy of Jesus: "Love one another." This is why he, the Son of God, became one of us, taught us and died for us: that we may see with our eyes and hear with our ears how much God loves us, and for this reason,why we must love one another. How can Jesus make it any clearer? On Thursday we will celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven; he leaves us, yes, physically, but not without having left us with the command and example to love one another. It takes effort, but without this magnanimous and unconditional love, we miss the point of the life, message and mission of Jesus.  Let us take time to reflect on and soak up these few verses, and renew our efforts and commitment to live them.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, as you have loved me, so may I love others. Amen.