“If you love me,” Jesus says, “keep my commandments.”

These words are yet another part of Jesus’ long farewell in John’s gospel. Jesus knows what is coming: his betrayal, his death. He knows he will not be with his disciples in the ways he has been. Last week, we heard his promise to prepare a place for us. Pastor Gerhardt reminded us that place Jesus prepares for us and promises to dwell with us is not only in our heavenly home, but here in all the dwelling places we inhabit this side of the kingdom as well.

This week, Jesus reminds us about what we are to do as long as we dwell on earth: keep my commandments.

We gathered last Friday to celebrate the life of Wayne Westcott and commend him forever to God’s eternal mercy and care. In his reflection, Pastor Jeff Hedin suggested that there are two basic questions we ask at the end of our lives: Am I loved? and Did I love well?

Jesus’ unequivocal answer to each and every one of us for that first question is YES. We are wholly, unconditionally, forever loved. We are God’s beloved people. And nothing we say or do or leave undone can ever change that. Jesus spent his time on this earth showing us the height and depth and breadth of God’s love for us.

Our life is a response to that love. If you love me, Jesus says, keep my commandments. If you love me as fully as I love you, keep my love alive.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Barbara Macholz Grimaldi (daughter of Pastor John and Lin Macholz) died at age 32 from metastatic breast cancer and wrote a beautiful letter to her beloveds that was read at her memorial service by her three closest friends. She entitled it, “I think it is hard to love.” Here is an excerpt:

“Today, the days behind us, the coming days, they have been and may be marked by pain, despair, deep hurt, anger, darkness, and more than we may ever understand. But remember that all of these feelings stem from our love from one another.

And so, I charge you to carry on. Don’t stop loving. In fact, love more. Love harder. Love with intention. Love without conditions. Love one another.”

In the midst of a hard and hurting world, it is so tempting to hunker down, to lick our wounds, to become numb. As Jesus faced his own death, he knew how hard it would be to keep his commandments – to keep on loving. And he gave these words of reassurance and promise.

“I will not leave you orphaned.”

“Because I live, you also will live.”

Friends, as another of my favorite songs from VBS back in the day says, we love, because God first loved us.

May it be so.