Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Our gospel message today encompasses the whole point of salvation history. Jesus calls us his friends. The entirety of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the word of the Father, is summed up in the great commandment: “love one another” (Jn 15:17). Yet, we are reminded daily of just how difficult we make it to live out this calling. Friendship is an opportunity to freely choose to love someone else and care for who they are. True friendship is typically grounded in a concern on the part of each person for the best of the other, for the other’s sake; it is the embodiment of the commandment to love one another.
God is madly in love with us. God has been pursuing our hearts from the very beginning. All of this comes to fulfillment in Jesus; God truly becomes present to us and shows us how to live, how to love, and how to be friends with each other. Christ loves us even in our sinfulness. He died for us even though we don’t deserve it. We are called to love others in this way as well. It is easy to love those who love us. It is easy to love my family and friends. It’s easy to show goodness to those who are good to me. However, love is so much more than this; God wants more. Love is being patient when that really annoying person is talking. It is being kind, even when someone is unkind to us. It means letting go of jealousy. It means lifting people up instead of tearing them down. It means forgiving. And it means truly wanting what is best for the other person.
Man, loving can be, and is, really difficult. It often means sacrificing what we want for the good of another person. Jesus showed us this example. He sacrificed his life for us. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Hopefully we will never need to die for another person, but sometimes we have to die to our own wants. Make a choice to will the good of the other.
We are loved by God. Jesus invites us into a relationship, to friendship with God. Friendship with God is a gift; it is grace. Grace is freely given--there is no payment or reciprocal action required to give or do in return. It is offered with no strings attached. We are free to choose what we do with this invitation. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain...this I command you: love one another.” (Jn 15:16-17) Jesus commands us to love. He doesn’t say it will be easy. May we continue to strive to think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus…love like Jesus.
Blessings,
Brandon Meyer