Legitimacy of Love

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: It’s not enough to be loved by the Lord and then forget about it. It would be like quenching your thirst for the moment and then saying let’s forget about water forever.

Just as you cannot eternally quench the thirst for water, similarly we cannot quench our thirst for love. We would want to be loved and loved and loved and it could be a never ending story.

The sad aspect of the love which we seek could lead to selfish seeking and would care less for the others around us; I should be the centre of all love.

One could go overboard in this self seeking love and quench one’s thirst through the many immoral means available at our disposal.

Jesus knows our thirst to be loved and loved; it is not a desire that has to be suppressed and destroyed by ascetical discipline but a thirst that needs to be filled; for this is how we are created, to be loved. 

No human being can fill that vacuum in us to be loved and hence this desire for love has an eternal and transcendental dimension.

Therefore Jesus gives us the criteria: “just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.”

 And the invitation is this: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love”

Then follows another fact; one can now be instrument of true spiritual love, because they carry his love in their hearts and his love fully manifested on the cross and an open sign, cannot fail.

Prayer:  “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;  Zeph 3:17

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