Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love (John 15:10)
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you (John 15:12)

You are my friends if you do what I command you (John 15:14)
This I command you: love one another (John 15:17)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that we are no longer “slaves,” but “friends.” Now the word used for “slave” here isn’t actually the negative term that comes to mind—It’s the word used to describe Moses and David who were called “slaves of God,” a phrase that Paul also uses to describe himself. It’s an honor to be a slave of God. But slaves, however honored, just do what they’re told. They only know what they’re supposed to do; friends, “those whom one loves,” are offered full disclosure—they know not just what, but why. “I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.”

But with knowledge comes responsibility. Sometimes it’s a lot easier to just fall into slave mode and follow the rulebook.

Twice in today’s Gospel Jesus gives his disciples—gives us—an order. Twice he commands us to love one another.

Sounds easy. We just have to do this one thing. After all the Jews who followed Mosaic Law had over 600 rules they had to follow. How hard can this be?

Turns out it’s not so easy. Because the command is not just to be nice to one another, or to grit your teeth and “do your Christian duty” for someone you don’t particularly like. Living a life of love isn’t always easy or convenient. It means not only being willing to put others’ needs before your own, but to do so not with a sense of martyrdom, but with joy. We’re commanded to love one another as Jesus loved us. And he loved us unto death.

Pretty daunting. And nothing we can do on our own. But in Him and with the help of the Holy Spirit all things are possible. And if we stumble in our attempts—and we will—that’s OK. Jesus will be there to pick us up. After all, we’re friends.