Sixth Sunday of Easter (B)

 

Sixth Sunday of Easter (B) [Jn 15:9-17]

05.05.2024

Jesus’ Commandment to Love as He Loved

Readings: (1) Acts 10:25-26.34-35.44-48 (2) 1 Jn 4:7-10

1. Theme in brief

Loving one another as Jesus loved

2.  Focus Statement

We the disciples of Christ are called to bear witness to his resurrection by imitating the caring, sharing, serving, self-giving, and self-sacrificing qualities of his love, and thus establish a special bond of brotherly or sisterly love among ourselves.

3.   Explanation of the text

Right at the beginning of today’s gospel, Jesus speaks about a chain of love-relationships: the Father loves him intimately; in turn he loves his disciples just as the Father loves him; hence, the disciples must love one another just as he (Jesus) loves them (15:9 and 12). He invites his disciples to "abide” or to remain in his love (15:9). They can do this only if they keep his commandments just as he experiences his Father’s love very personally and intimately by keeping his Father's commandments and abiding in his love (15:10). Hence, for a disciple obedience to Jesus' commandment is the condition for remaining in his love, just as he is obedient to his Father’s will unto the end. This in turn will increase their joy and make it complete (15:11).   

First of all, what type of love Jesus is talking about? Obviously, here he does not talk about the following three types of natural love: (1) physical attraction or sexual love between a male and a female person; (2) blood-related love (affection) between members of the same family (or within one’s own kinship circle); and (3) natural liking and fondness between two intimate friends. He speaks of a love (in Greek ‘agape’) which goes beyond a mere warm feeling for others or a kind regard. Its main features are caring, sharing, serving, self-giving, and self-sacrificing for the good of others. Secondly, who are the subjects of love? Since his teaching in today’s gospel is presented as his Farewell Speech to his disciples at the Last Supper, in this particular context the words “one another” refer to a special love-relationship which should exist within the community of his disciples. He wants that this special warmth of love should be the recognition mark for others to know that they are his disciples (cf. Jn 13:35).

Thirdly, how should the disciples love one another? The answer given by Jesus is: "As I have loved you" (15:12; cf.13:34). It could be taken in two senses: (1) to love exactly "like" the way Jesus has loved; and (2) to love "because" he has loved his disciples in this manner. Here the words “as I have loved you” indicate an imitation of the characteristics (features) or the model of love with which he loved his disciples. To love one another as he loved precisely means to heal, feed, serve, share, care for, make self-sacrifices and forgive one another as he did. In order words, the living example of the Master is the model for the practice of love among his disciples.

Jesus compares his love to the greatest self-sacrificing love of a "lover" for his beloved, or a friend for his bosom friend (15:13). Jesus seems to do away with the distinction between “servant” and “master.” He says that he calls his disciples servants no longer, but “friends” because he has not kept any secret about the Father (15:15). He has made known to them everything that he knows about the Father just as intimate friends do (15:15). In a similar manner, all members within his community are to be treated as friends who are transparent to one another, and share everything in common. It is clear that Jesus wants that his disciples should take him not as a distant heavenly spirit but as a close friend and consider their community as a society of friends. Motivated by the sacrificial love of their Friend (Jesus), the disciples are to love one another as friends among themselves to the extent of laying down (or sacrificing) their lives for one another. He says that there is no other greater proof of love than this (15:3).

Further, Jesus tells his disciples that their discipleship is a gift freely given to them; they neither earned it nor went in search of it. He says that his disciples have not chosen him, instead he has personally chosen them (15:16) to remain in his love and to be his closest friends. But this free choice has a definite appointment and responsibility attached to it: to bear not temporary fruit but lasting fruit (15:16); of course, fruits of genuine love in imitation of his own personal example.

4.   Application to life                     

In last Sunday’s gospel Jesus explained about the intimate spiritual bond that should unite us with him through the imagery of vine and its branches; whereas in today’s gospel he explains how we (his disciples) should establish a special bond of brotherly or sisterly love among ourselves by obeying his love-commandment just as he has kept his Father’s commandments and remains inseparably bonded with him.

But how should we love? Jesus teaches us to love not as hero-heroines love each other in our commercial films and popular love stories, but to imitate the personal example given by him in loving his disciples. In his First Letter, John says that God is love; hence, he is the source of all genuine love (1 Jn 4:7-8). Genuine love is shown and known by the gift of oneself for the sake of others. God shows his boundless love for sinners by giving his only Son as a supreme gift to them and by giving him up (or sacrificing him) on the cross in order to make them partakers of his divine life (Jn 3:14-16). Jesus wills that his model of selfless, self-giving, self-sacrificing love should be the distinctive feature of all his genuine disciples. So even today, as a Teacher or Master (Guru), Jesus continues to command us, his disciples (shishyas), to imitate the self-giving, caring, sharing, serving, healing, forgiving and self-sacrificing qualities of his love. Christian love is an attitude like that of Christ, which must be shown in action.

Thus, loving one another as Jesus loved his disciples points to the manner in which he loved them. He accepted them as they were in spite of their ambitions, worldly motives and misunderstanding of his mission; he admitted Judas into his team and continued to associate with and tolerate him in spite of knowing that one day he would betray him; he forgave Peter who denied him and all other disciples who deserted him at the time of threat to his life; he forgave sinners and associated with them and other outcasts; he took away sorrow, pain and suffering from those who were sick and suffering; he fed the hungry crowd with bread; he sacrificed not only his family, home and security, but also his life on the cross; he forgave the mocking criminal and all other enemies from the cross (Lk 23:34); and he died a humiliating death like a criminal for the sake of those whom he loved. Exactly this is the way he wants his followers should love one another.

Though laying down of life for one’s friends in today’s text includes also literally dying for them like Jesus, we need to apply it in a metaphorical sense to mean spending/ sacrificing/ sharing our time, energy, talents and resources out of love for others; doing good even to those who do not do good to us; doing an act of service to others even when it is so inconvenient; giving until it hurts; etc. Jesus insists that genuine love is not theoretical or a matter of debate but practical as he showed it in action. That is why he says, “You are blessed if you do” what I have done to you (Jn 13:17).

As we have noted above, though Jesus makes it clear in other places in John’s as well as in synoptic gospels that our love should be inclusive and universal, in the context of John’s gospel, loving “one another” does not mean loving our neighbours (or anybody in need as the Good Samaritan’s story says in Lk 10:25-37). Here Jesus speaks only about the special love that should exist within the Christian community, within our parish community/ family/ Christian neighbourhood or village, so that others can recognize us as his disciples and see the presence of the Risen Christ in us or in our deeds of love. Which is easier: to love someone who lives far away from us, whom we do not know closely, with whom we do not stay; or someone whom we know very well by staying, living and working together, or meet every Sunday in the church?  

As the saying goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”  We know very well the defects/ weaknesses of those who are close to us. How hard it is for us to accept and love someone close to us whose weaknesses/ defects/ faults hurt us. How shameful it is to say that we are disciples of Christ when people of other faiths notice a lack of genuine love and unity – sometimes made visible to them in our open infighting, bickering, groupism, caste/tribal/ethnic rivalries, divisions, power struggle – within our four walls. If people notice open rivalry and fights between two Christian institutions within the same campus or in the vicinity, a question naturally arises in their minds whether we are made for mutual competition or for mutual love. Today Jesus once again reminds us that we are called to be a society of friends and not a society of opposition parties. Let us ask: Who is this “one another” for me, who is so close to me but in fact is so far from me?

Why does Jesus command us to love one another? Can genuine love be commanded? As explained above, Christian love goes beyond good feelings or emotions and affections for a person. If we have good feelings towards the person we love, it is wonderful; but we need to do good to that person even if we have no good feelings or natural attraction towards him/her. That is why Christian love is an act of the will, a decision to be made in the mind to do good to someone who has not done any good to us; worst still, has done harm to us. This is too hard and a daily struggle for any of us. Yes, it does not come spontaneously and naturally, but from God’s grace. That is why Christian love (agape) is supernatural, that is, it goes beyond human nature or natural inclinations. It goes to the extent of doing good even to our enemies with whom we have no natural love. None of us can claim that we have exhausted all the limits and obligations of love, however saintly we may be. Therefore, Jesus gives his teaching on love not as an advice or admonition but a commandment by a Teacher to his disciples. We can remain faithful to the Master only by our obedience to his commandment or by following his model of love. How can we say then he is risen and alive in us and in our world if we do not bother to obey his commandment of love, or give it a try?

Jesus lays down the ideals of a community: to be totally transparent to each other in such a way that we have no secrets among us; instead, fully trust one another. He expects transparency in words, deeds, dealings, and above all in financial matters. How can we give a try to these ideals in our families and religious communities through a deeper communication and dialogue? Our vocation to discipleship is a pure choice of Jesus. We have not chosen him; instead he has chosen us not out of our merit/ perfection/ worthiness, but out of the love he has for us. In a way, we are directly appointed by him before we are appointed by any superior. Of course there are ‘terms and conditions’ in this appointment: to bear “fruit that will last." This implies there are some fruits that do not last. Which ones? Serving God and humanity purely for one’s own name and fame, raw ambition, personal achievement, self-interest, material gains, monetary benefits, momentary success, etc., are the fruits that will not last. Lasting fruits will emerge when we put God and his will, his Kingdom, his standards and the needs/ joys/ sorrows/ hopes/ aspirations / struggles of the people whom we serve in the forefront.

5. Response to God's Word

Do we seriously try to follow the model of self-giving and self-sacrificing love taught and practiced by Christ? Do we practice genuine love within our Christian community, within our parish community/ family/ Christian neighbourhood or village, so that others can recognize us as his disciples? Who is the nearest member of our community expecting some help/ appreciation/ support/ encouragement from us? Are we transparent in our words, deeds, dealings, and above all in financial matters in our families, workplaces, religious institutions and communities? Is there a deeper friendship and communication among us, or superficial? Do we put God and his will, his Kingdom, his standards and the needs and struggles of our people whom we serve in the forefront, so that our efforts may bear lasting fruits?

6. A prayer

Jesus, our Lord and Master, you continually command us in every situation to imitate the qualities of your love towards us. Give us the grace to translate your example of caring, sharing, serving, forgiving and sacrificial love in action. We totally depend on your supernatural grace to do something which is naturally so hard for us. Grant that we may not succumb to the temptations of petty bickering or infighting, divisions and bitterness within our community. We ask your pardon for the times we failed to give witness to you by succumbing to these temptations. Amen.