Commandment. What do you think of when you read or hear that word? Does it seem cold and unfeeling? Do you cringe, become defensive, or feel anxious? Because of our sinful hearts and bad experiences, “commandment” provokes images of tyranny or self-serving authoritarianism. Commandments are given to keep the powerful powerful and the oppressed oppressed. Commandments are the means of control keeping everyone under thumb.
Jesus, however, associates obedience to his commandments with love for him. In John 14:15, 21, and 24, Jesus says that those who love him keep his commandments. Jesus’ disciples do what Jesus commands because they love him. Obedience is not cringing anxiety that comes from being ruled by a despot. Jesus didn’t say, “I am your King. What I say goes. Keep my commandments!” He could have said that. It is true that he is our King and may command what he wishes and expect obedience. However, this display of raw authority doesn’t accomplish God’s goal in our obedience. The use of raw authority may bring about outward conformity so that people go through the motions, but God calls us to something more. We are called to be members of his Divine Family and, therefore, participate in the deep culture of the Trinity, to share the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit. This means, in part, that we share their heart. We love what they love. We desire what they desire. We become one with them in desire, will, purpose, and action.
What each member of the Trinity does, he does out of love for the others. The Son takes on human flesh and eventually goes to the cross out of love for the Father and the Spirit. While obedience is conformity to an authority’s commands, the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. God requires deep, abiding loyalty.
Obedience rooted in love implies a trust in authority, namely, that he has my best interests at heart and will do nothing that is ultimately detrimental to me. Obedience springing from love fully trusts God and therefore conforms to all that he commands, knowing that his commands are for our good.
God’s commandments are not tyranny. God doesn’t command attitudes and actions to watch us jump through meaningless hoops. God loves us and his entire creation. He wants what is best for both. Negatively, God’s commandments are guardrails that keep us from careening off the cliff to our destruction. Positively, God’s commandments are the instructions that lead to life (Dt 30:16; Pr 4:4; 7:2). God’s commandments are not there to spoil your fun or keep you from being all that you can be. They are for your good, and therefore, you are to keep them.
When Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” the word translated “keep” may also be translated as “guard.” Guarding implies cherishing something. Jesus isn’t calling for his disciples to go through the motions. They are to cherish his commandments. Jesus’ disciples, those who love him, are those who keep his commandments, and to them his commandments are not burdensome (1 Jn 5:2).
The test of our love for Jesus is not in our feelings but in our loving obedience. Do we love what he loves so that we delight to do what he commands?