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“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15 NIV

Our parents taught us well, how to honor our mother and father. They expected our honor and respect simply because we were their children and they were our parents. Honor wasn’t earned so much as it was an unspoken rule in our homes. Not much needed an explanation beyond, “Because I said so, that’s why!” It wasn’t that our parents were mean-hearted; it’s just they knew what was best for us, and if we knew what was good for us, we just did what they asked and stopped pushing the envelope.

Over the years, with children of our own, we found ourselves saying, “Because I said so” for the not-so-honorable reasons like, I’m-too-tired-to-explain-so-please-just-stop-bugging-me-and-just-do-what-I-say. But when you get right down to it, us parents simply love our children. When we prove our love by our actions (protection, affection, unconditional love) they love us in return.

Jesus spoke this truth with his disciples, too. Remember, Jesus and the disciples were Jewish—brought up memorizing and living by the Ten Commandments—and understood what it meant to live and die by them. But when it came to living by the rules, Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, keep my commands,” (John 14:15NIV). It wasn’t an order or a threat, but rather an explanation of the natural order of love.

Jesus explains it this way, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Don’t we all want to spend time with those who love us well, whether a mother, father, sister, brother, husband or wife? And the more time we spend with one another isn’t it true we show ourselves, reveal our hearts, and honor one another more?

That’s the reciprocity of love Jesus is talking about. Love me. Keep my commands (honor). I will love you and show myself to you.

Blessings,

Dawn Aldrich — author, blogger