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Obedience—the Gateway to Intimate Love
Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and
observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be
loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
John 14:21
Most people would not think of “love” as obedience to commandments.
Yet, that is precisely how Jesus defines it. To understand the
truthfulness of His teaching, we must first consider the nature of
love.
Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love as both an emotion and an action.
As an emotion, it is part of our human nature and is the first
response of the concupiscible appetite to a good perceived as
desirable. This natural love is directed toward goods apprehended
through the senses, such as food, people, or enjoyable activities.
Since love as an emotion pertains to the sensory appetite and is
tied to physical or sensible goods, it plays an essential role in
the human experience. However, it’s important to note that just
because a good is perceived as desirable does not mean it is truly
good for us or in accord with God’s perfect will.
The love that Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel, however, far
transcends natural love. While it does involve desire and emotion
when perfected, it is ultimately charity—a supernatural, spiritual
love flowing from our union with Him. Charity, infused by grace,
elevates love to a higher, rational act of the will, seeking the
good of another for the other’s sake and fulfilling God’s
commandments as an expression of that love.
This distinction invites us to examine the type of love we have
toward God and others. If our love for God is purely emotional, it
will be dictated by superficial and sometimes misguided desires.
When we feel consolation on an emotional level, we might respond
with an emotionally loving sentiment toward God. When something
inspires us and we feel His presence, we might desire Him
intensely. Yet, while this form of love has its place and will play
a role in our relationship with God when our soul is fully
perfected, it is initially a poor guide to charity. The same
principle applies to our relationships with others.
Sometimes the pure love of charity hurts on a natural level. The
demands of charity often call us to act contrary to our immediate
desires and to love even when we do not feel like loving. Earlier
in Chapter 14 of John’s Gospel, Jesus expresses the ideal of
charity even more clearly: “If you love me, you will keep my
commandments” (John 14:15). At the very heart of charity toward God
is obedience. This obedience involves a three-fold process.
First, with our minds, we must understand God’s will, believe it,
and assent to it as the highest good, even if our disordered
appetites initially resist His will. Once our minds clearly
perceive and understand the highest good to which we are
called—God’s perfect commandments—our wills must choose to follow
them. When our disordered appetites interfere, we must rely on
grace to strengthen our resolve and enable us to choose the higher
good.
When this process becomes habitual, and our minds and wills are
regularly directed toward God’s will, even our emotions and
appetites begin to conform. We come to delight in His commandments,
finding refreshment and fulfillment in them. This spiritual delight
far surpasses emotional satiation. This is because only God’s
will—expressed through His commandments—can make us whole and
enable us to become who we are created to be. Though the journey is
often challenging, what joy we experience when we delight in God’s
will through grace!
Reflect today on Jesus’ clear invitation to love Him through
obedience to His will. Because His love for us is perfect, His
commands are always for our good. Sometimes we are like children
with erratic emotions and desires who need the gentle direction of
a loving parent. Don’t see God’s commands as a burden; the opposite
is true. God’s commands set us free to love through charity and to
experience both spiritual and emotional joy in the process. When we
love Jesus with this highest form of love, we will be gifted with a
relationship with Him and His Father, Who will reveal themselves to
us, satisfying our every desire.
My demanding Lord, Your commands are perfect and guide me into
the highest good achievable. May I never perceive Your commands as
a burden but have the wisdom I need to understand they are for my
good, for Your glory, and for the good of all. I choose You and
Your will today and always. Help me to embrace Your will with joy
and confidence. Jesus, I trust in You.
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