Sunday, May 10
John 14:15-21
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Devotional
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
I like being Lutheran. Number two on my list of reasons is potlucks—obviously. But number one is our shared understanding that the Christian life is, at its core, a response to the love God already has for us.
Sometimes we hear Jesus’ words in this passage as if he’s a self-conscious parent saying, “If you really loved me, then you would…” But that isn’t what’s happening here.
Jesus is speaking to a room full of anxious disciples. He’s in the middle of telling them farewell, and they are confused, scared, and unsure about what comes next. Into that uncertainty, Jesus offers simple direction: “Follow my commands.”
So what are Jesus’ commands?
Love God and neighbor
Repent and believe
Love your enemies
Serve others
Do not judge
Practice humility
Be a witness
Do not worry
Pray sincerely
Give generously
And so on…
As Lutherans, we cling to grace—because grace is essential. We don’t keep Jesus’ commands to earn God’s love. We keep them because we already have God’s love. Our obedience becomes a response, not a requirement.
And if you’re like me, you may still wonder what that looks like in everyday life. Thankfully, Jesus has already shown us. His own life becomes the pattern—the template—for our freedom.
So how will you use that freedom today?
Loving an enemy?
Practicing humility?
Making a hotdish for a potluck?
– Pr. jason
Let us pray: God, thank you for the gift of grace that allows me to learn how to love you. Thank you for giving me instructions for how to explore that love. Amen.
