0110 - How can we love Jesus?

How can we love Jesus?

Many people think that the answer for this question is simple, sufficing the following verse:

• Joh 14:21 -> “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”.

That is to say: to love Jesus is to have and keep His commandments. There are many verses that seems to corroborate with it.

Nonetheless, if we take heed carefully, we will see that it is the opposite: it is because we love Jesus that we have the capacity to have and keep His commandments.

• Joh 14:15 -> “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”.

• Joh 14:23 -> “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”.

When we love the Jesus, He put in us the desire and ability of keep His word and commandments (Phil 2:12,13). In addition, the proof that He love us is that He redeem us from the sin (reconciling us with the Creator and people around us) so that nothing can preclude us of keeping His commandments:

• 1Jn 5:3 -> “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

But, what is “love” then? Love is the link of the life, that is to say, stay close of those who we allege to love, partaking of their life, being present, if doable, all their moments. Loving Jesus is to stay all the time in communion with Him (praying without ceasing – 1Thess 5:17).

And, it is based on this that Jesus said:

• Joh 15:9 -> “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”.

Abiding in His love is abiding in intimacy with Him (through prayers). May this be clear: it isn’t for us to love Him as it is becoming for us, but to abide in HIS love. Hence John said:

• 1Jn 4:19 -> “We love because he first loved us.”.

Only receiving His love for us we will be able to love Him correctly and, thereby, obey His commandments and stay in communion (free of the sin) with Jesus and His Church.

So, have a good day investing time with Jesus and His Church.