Eastertide
April 30, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 14:23-29

Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. –John 14:23-24

John begins with: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) He is not talking about holy scripture, he is talking about Jesus who came to live among the peoples of the earth and among other purposes, modeled God’s love.

Either we live love or we don’t love. The author of Hebrews 12:4 puts it pretty succinctly, Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. God created us, I believe, with an infinite capacity to love. For our souls, it is easier to live love than to not. We actually invest more energy in not loving: holding grudges, discriminating against others, feeling the need to be better than others because we cannot accept the fullness of God’s love for ourselves. What is the old saying, it takes two muscles to smile and 40 to frown?

The greatest testimony and praise we can give to God is to love like Jesus loves. Such love is unconditional. It is enabled by the unconditional love we receive from God.

Prayer: Lover of my Soul, cleanse me of all that blocks my ability to love like you. Make me whole, make all your people one, and lead us to live our love through justice. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.