Scripture/Bible: As the Father has loved
me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If
you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my
Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These
things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may
be full. 12 "This is my
commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you
do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you
servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have
called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known
to you. 16 You did not choose me, but
I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your
fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give
it to you. 17 This I command you, to
love one another. John
15:9-17
Reflection: There
can’t be a better more perfect love than this; unconditional and complete.
In a
way Christ Jesus is claiming that he is an extension of the Fathers love, if
you do not understand this love of the Father because you have not seen him, no
problem. Christ Jesus has made this love visible to us, he is the complete
manifestation of the Father’s love.
It’s
a statement of great healing, a declaration of hope for the human race who constantly
keeps reeling under the burden of hurt and pain on account of the lack of love
which they experience as they grow along in the various stages of life and
through their daily encounters with each other.
Very
rarely can a person say that he or she was loved perfectly. We, each one, from
our childhood, if not, from our mother’s womb may have experienced hurt,
rejection, lack of appreciation and only criticism.
There
are moments in which we may have cried alone to ourselves for not being loved
or cared for, for not being understood or given a thought. We had to literally
buy our love by doing better than the others or excel in school or by being
mischievous and humorous in our ways or playing the hero or the macho man or through illegal and immoral means.
In
the bargain we may have developed hatred towards God and the sudden loss of a
loved one may have added to this anger against the God, who is less responsible
for our fate or a God who knows how to comfort us, if we allow him, and even make
things work for our good.
In
the process we may have got further dragged into immoral or wrong company and also into all
types of vices, sinful habits or bondage's.Some of us may have given wind to caution or conscience and our conscience no loner troubles us much in the evil we practice.
Even
those who say that they were loved by everyone may at the most fail to
communicate that the love with which they were brought up almost bordered on
pampered love.
Just spend a moment in prayer, acknowledging and just allow Jesus to speak to your heart right now: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in
my love.” And encounter him with his special love for you.
Prayer: “Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my
prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” Ps 66:20
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