A Mitzvah of Love
The Gospel reading today is an intimate conversation between Jesus and His friends. Time is short, and even though the Apostles don’t realize it, Jesus gives them lasting instructions. He gives them the bottom line. They need to understand; soon, they will feel very alone, and they must know He is with them even when alone.
There is a word that Jesus uses that seems discordant to me. He tells the disciples to obey His commandment. The word commandment has always meant the law to me. When one loves another, what we do has nothing to do with being commanded. We act out of love. We live as Jesus asked because we love him, not because he demanded we do so.
I began this reflection with that rough edge rubbing me the wrong way. So, I looked up the meaning of the word Commandment in Hebrew. Not surprisingly, it said a directive or expectation given with authority. But then, it also said a commandment is a “mitzvah.” Aha! A mitzvah is indeed a commandment or a directive but with the nuance of giving out of loyalty or love.
In Jewish tradition, a mitzvah is performed by people out of love for God and others. That is what Jesus meant. He wasn’t stamping His foot and saying, “You must do what I told you or else…” Instead, he says, “I love you, and I have told you everything I have learned about how to live and love, and now you go and do as I have done.”
This Gospel holds even more richness. Jesus says to them, “I will not leave you orphans.” He also says, “On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you.”
That is the bottom line. All of the stories, parables, miracles, and the casting out of demons come down to one sentence.
You are not alone. I am with you always, and you are with me. I abide in you, and you abide in me. Wow! I looked for God outside of me for much of my life, expecting Him to somehow step into my life and intercede for me. But the truth is, God is not ‘out there’ in some distant place. God is within us, a part of our being, always ready to guide and comfort us.
How wonderful was the day I heard his voice! Not outside of me but within me. I was anxious and fretting about something and heard, “Hush, be still now. Just be with me. Together, we will find the way.”
Now I hear His “commandment,” not with harshness or the demand of the law but as loving guidance from a friend who is one with me, and I am one with Him. I hear the commandment as Mitzvah, the desire of the Lover for the good of the beloved.
We are all called to grow in wisdom and grace as we age. We make the faith of our childhood the foundation. The wisdom, love, and grace that comes as the relationship develops is the unsurpassable treasure of being one with God.
The most lavish grace is knowing we will never be alone. God is one with us, and we are one with God. We are a team. Our prayer is how we communicate with the team coach. Our prayer is how the Coach communicates with us.
Prayer is our way to connect with God, rest in His presence, seek His guidance when we don’t know what to do, and find comfort in His love when things go wrong. Prayer is being whole in the depths of ourselves, silent, and at one in God’s presence.
Prayer is whispering in the stillness of the night, “My God, I love you.” And hearing His words echo in our hearts, “I love you too; I am here, forever and for always.”
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
