Sixth Sunday of Easter
Love: Command and Gift
We are coming to the end of the Easter season. Ascension Day is near. Jesus is preparing to return to heaven, and this moment is pivotal for us and his followers, one last chance to ask, “Jesus, what’s next?”
But Jesus has already answered. Remember Holy Week? He has given us everything we need to know about “what’s next.” His words aren’t just for the moment. They’re for every time life pulls us away, when worship ends, when distractions creep in.
Jesus doesn’t just say, “Keep believing.” Belief is essential, but without action, it’s like standing on the sidelines, waiting for someone else to step in.
Instead, Jesus asks, “Do you love me? Then keep my word.”
This isn’t ordinary love; it’s agape love. Total. Unconditional. Transformational. The kind of love that doesn’t just touch your life. It remakes it. Do you have that kind of love? Are you tending it, letting it shape who you are and how you live?
“If you do love me,” Jesus says, “keep my word.”
Hold it close. Let it breathe in you, guide you, and root you in God’s presence. When you keep God’s word, God moves in, making a home within you.
What is that word? Love, of course. Love is and reveals God’s nature. Love calls us to live differently—Love that is both the command and the gift.
Then comes the blessing, the promise that empowers us: “Peace be with you.” Shalom. Do not be troubled. Do not be afraid.
Step forward. Watch. And let Love light the way.
Barry Lehman, retired pastor
Rochester, Minnesota