What did Jesus Christ say?

May 12, 2020 – In these periods after Holy Pascha (Easter) each year, it is a customary among Orthodox Christians around the world to greet each other with the thankful expression “CHRIST IS RISEN!” …and respond with the reply “TRULY HE HAS RISEN!”

A recent May 8 2020 Orthodox Christian daily Gospel reading speaks to me direct insights from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Reading

The Reading is from the Gospel According to John 15:17-27; 16:1-2

The Lord said to his disciples:

“This I command you, to love one another.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

He who hates me hates my Father also.

If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

It is to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me;

and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.

I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

= = =

How directly powerful is this commandment from Lord Jesus Christ … We are commanded to love one another!

And as I also recall Christ’s parable message to his apostle St. Peter to “tend” and to “feed” the faithful “lambs” (newer Christian believers) and “sheep” (mature Christian believers), I sense that Christ tells me my actions of “loving one another” need to be ACTIONS of love, and more than simply words of love.