May 22, 2022
My dear family of God,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to His apostles: “If a man loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to Him and make our home with Him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” In this Gospel passage, we see a convergence of love and obedience. Commandments and obedience merge into love. The commandments of God are for our good and these show us the path to love. When we obey God’s commandments, we demonstrate our love and trust in Him.
If we keep Jesus’ words, His promise is that He and the Father will make a dwelling in us. Our obedience to Jesus’ words makes us temples in which God dwells. This image of Jesus and the Father dwelling in us should remind us of an imagery in John’s prologue, the image of “the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.” The same imagery is used in today’s Gospel, the image of the Father and the Son coming and making their home with the one who believes in Jesus. By contrast, anyone who does not keep Jesus’ word and does not love Him cannot be the dwelling place of the Father.
Jesus went on to say to His apostles “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Dr. Bergsma opines that the Holy Spirit “teaching you all things” should not be understood as a promise of an infused, infallible knowledge for the individual Christian or believer. We must remember that Jesus spoke these words to the Apostles as a group. This is a promise to the whole Church represented by Her officers, the college of Apostles and by extension their successors. The Ecumenical Councils of the Church throughout history best manifest the truth of this promise that the Holy Spirit would “teach” and “remind” His Church throughout time.
On the other hand, when Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” He gives solace and consolation not only to the Church but also to each one of us that God will provide a supernatural peace that cannot be explained on rational grounds. Although we may suffer persecutions, tribulations, and hardships, we can still experience the peace of Christ that transcends all human understanding.
The songwriter John H. Sammis says:
“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
Do have a grace-filled Easter Season. Shalom!
Fr. James Ahenkora
