Remain in My Love

Observe. Jesus says that as the Father has loved him, so he has loved the disciples, and he tells them to remain in his love. Remaining means keeping his commands, just as he has kept the Father's commands and remains in the Father's love. He has said this so that his joy may be in them and their joy complete. His command is that they love one another as he has loved them. The greatest love is to lay down one's life for one's friends. They are his friends, not servants, because he has told them everything he learned from the Father. They did not choose him; he chose them and appointed them to bear lasting fruit.

Interpret. The chain runs from the Father's love for Jesus, through Jesus' love for the disciples, to the disciples' love for one another. Each link is the same kind of love, sacrificial and faithful. Remaining is not passive. It is the daily practice of keeping his commands, which turn out to be summarized in one. The surprising element is joy. Obedient love, Jesus says, is where complete joy is found, not where it is lost. And friendship with Jesus is grounded in his choice and his openness, not in the disciples' merit.

Apply. This passage rewards slow attention. Which link in the chain is weakest in your life at the moment, receiving Jesus' love or passing it on? Where have you thought of obedience as the opposite of joy, and what would it take to believe Jesus on this point? And since he calls you a friend and has chosen you for fruit that lasts, what fruit is he asking you to bear in the people nearest you this week?