Listen

Jesus answered, “Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word that you hear isn’t mine. It is the word of the Father who sent me.”

John 14:23-24

Think

In these words of Jesus to his disciples, we hear a promise that those who love Jesus and keep his word will be loved by the father and have a home with God. But what does it mean to keep Jesus’ words? And how do we do that? The greatest commandment Jesus gives us is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. When pressed, Jesus insists that our neighbors are those who are most in need.

When we want to keep the word of Jesus, we must be attentive to loving those most in need, allowing our hearts to be moved so that we respond with compassion. This means simple acts of mercy: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those sick and in prison, as well as acts of justice: speaking out and acting to make sure our society lives up to the standard of treating all people as beloved children of God. When we do these things, our home is God’s home.

Kirstin Swanson

Question to Ponder:

Where do you hear the word of God most clearly calling you to act?

Pray

Jesus, Word of God, move my heart to so hear and heed the needs of my neighbor that I may fully embody your call to love, both through acts of service and acts of justice. Amen.

Go

Whatever you encounter today, remember that your home is always in God.