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| “If you love me, keep my commands.” |
| —John 14:15a |
Have you ever been homesick? Maybe you went off to summer camp for the first time with great excitement. But once you settled in, and your parents drove away, you suddenly realized you were alone. You were outside that protective circle of your family.
You tried to hide your feelings of dread. But, eventually that aching in your stomach grew to the place where your tears began to flow.
Finally, a wise counselor let you make a phone call. As soon as you heard your father’s or mother’s voice, you poured out your heart and begged to come home.
After you talked a while you felt better. Just hearing your parent’s voice brought comfort. You were able to steel yourself, settle down, and even begin to enjoy the experience.
In contrast, maybe you were someone for whom your parents had anticipated your panic and sense of aloneness and did their best to prepare you for those moments of clarity that would come when you realized your parents were gone and you were stuck in an alien environment.
Their words of preparation helped you recognize and deal with your feelings of fear and dread. You took their words to heart and received comfort that allowed you to tolerate and even enjoy the experience.
When the Lord Jesus knew He was about to die, He did His best to try to prepare His disciples. Notice what He said to them, as recorded in John 14:15-27:
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.
“The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 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.”
Then Judas not Judas Iscariot said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
“Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
We followers of Jesus live in a most hostile and alien environment. A spiritual warfare rages both within us and around us.
We can take great comfort in the words of our Savior. The heartache and frustration of this world can melt away, as we rest in the truth of His words.
We are not alone! God has sent the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to be our Comforter and Guide.
Today, let us receive this great outpouring of God's love with great joy and be thankful.
