Obedience matters

Dr. Jaime Cortez In this Sunday’s gospel (Jn. 15:9-17) we hear Jesus saying, “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.”

To abide means to continue without fading. In the Christian context, it is to remain connected with the Lord Jesus – just as in last week’s gospel, a branch has to remain connected with the true vine, if it were to bear fruit. To be sure, God loved us first (1 John 4:19). This love, God manifested by sending his only Son into the world so that we might live through him, the First Reading (1 John 4:7-10) tells us.

God’s love, however, requires a response from us. We must accept that love by believing in Jesus, the Son of God, and by his grace, live our faith by our obedience to the commandments of the Lord.

Yes, God looks at the consistency between what we say and what we do. How can one claim he loves God if at the same time he worships other gods, be these spiritual or material? Dishonors the name of the Almighty God and refuses to worship on the Lord’s Day even if he can? Disrespects and neglects his father and mother? Commits murder or pushes others to do so? Commits adultery and sexual immorality, whether in actuality or by heart? Steals and/ or covets the possessions of others, or engages in lies and falsehoods? St. John writes, “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).

These commandments, many as they may be, were summed up by Jesus in one word: LOVE. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and we are to love our neighbor as our self (Mk. 12:30-31).

In loving God, we are not doing him a favor, for he is a self-sufficient God. True, he is pleased by our loving response to his love, for as our Creator, he deserves all the love we can possibly give back to the Giver of all gifts. Nevertheless, more than this, in loving him, he delights in seeing the good consequences of our obedience.