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Life in the Holy Spirit An Empowerment Bible Study © 2003 by Terry A. Modica |
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Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Laying down your life for Jesus
In John 15:12-17, Jesus emphasizes that He has chosen us to be His friends. HE chose YOU and me! He picked you and said, "I want be close friends with this one!"
Friends serve each other because they care about each other. Jesus doesn't want us to serve Him out of mere obedience under the fear of punishment. When we were children, it was necessary for those in authority to discipline us by the hand of punishment, so we tend to relate to God as slaves would to their master. But we've matured; we've learned to obey because the rules make good sense. If we're spiritually mature, we obey because we care.
Jesus summarized all commandments in one: "Love one another as I love you." Do you obey God because you love OTHERS? We are friends of Jesus to the extent that we love those whom He loves -- which, of course, is everyone, even the evil-doers who bring trouble to our lives.
Loving means caring; it does not mean putting up with evil. Do you pray for those who've made you suffer? Not this kind of prayer: "Get 'em God! Make them suffer like they made me suffer." Do you ask God to heal their souls and bless them with His mercy? Often, that's exactly what Jesus wants us to do to in obedience to His commandment -- nothing more.
Jesus is our example of true obedience. In doing whatever the Father told Him to do through the power of the Holy Spirit, their unity became complete. Obedience for us means doing whatever the Father told Jesus to do, i.e., imitating Christ. Then we, too, become united to God. This is why whatever we ask the Father for in the name of Jesus will be given to us. United to God, we won't ever ask for something that is not already His desire to give us!
If we want to grow more mature in our love relationship with God, we will trust in His love for us and in His commandment to love all others. We will serve our friend Jesus by serving those around us, because we care. In friendship with God, we will put aside our reasons to withhold love, knowing that love is the bottom line and top priority of every decision we make and every action we take, even if it doesn't yet make good sense to our limited brains and wounded hearts.
This is laying down our lives for Jesus. It's the only way to have a true friendship with God.
Do you have a special prayer request to ask the Father now? Use our Good News prayer that's based on this Gospel passage: A Novena to Jesus Our Joy.
Next:
Subscribe to the Good News Daily Reflections.
See also Holy Living: A Bible Study covering the Sermon on the Mount.
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