29 April 2016 - as i have loved you

[ Today's Readings ]

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You command us to love, LORD. You command us to live in the only way that brings joy and satisfaction. You command us to be who we are meant to be. You yourself show us what this looks like. The world's attempts at love are too distorted by pride and selfishness. We can't even figure out what direction to go or what step to take next by looking at examples like that. Concealed within every attempt of the world to love we find selfish motives mixed in. When we look at our own hearts we find the very same thing. If we really scrutinize our motives, we find that even our motives for scrutinizing our motives aren't entirely pure, let alone our motives for the other acts of love we attempt. But you show us what real love looks like. You show us love that doesn't count the cost. You show us love that pays no heed to one's own life, but lays that life down for one's friends. And who is your friend? You make friends from those who were once your enemies.

I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

This isn't what we do. We keep some of it to ourselves to keep a slight edge or advantage. But you pour out grace without measure and mercy beyond all telling. You motive is simply that you want to see us living the fullness of joy that you intend for us. You want a world full of joy and the other fruits that last, the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.

The Holy Spirit doesn't want to place any burdens on us that aren't strictly necessary. He is interested only that we turn from idols to serve the living God (see First Thessalonians 1:9). So let us do nothing without the mandate that comes to us from God. His mandate is to love. We receive it through the Spirit and the Bride, the Church. Any other mandate is tainted, selfish, and will ultimately fail. Any other mandate is full of teachings that upset the mind and disturb one's peace. Jesus, help us to go forth by your mandate to love you and one another.

My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.