Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. 14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. 15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. 16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
John encourages his audience to “love one another” because love has its origin in God. John is speaking about a deep sacrificial love as demonstrated by God in the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ on the cross. Those who love are children of God and have an intimate knowledge of God. Those who do not possess love do not know God because the essence of God is love. God showed the depth of his love for humanity by sending His only Son into the world so that through him, believers may receive the gift of eternal life (Jn. 3:16). The initiative in showing love does not originate with humanity. It is not that humanity first loved God and then God responded with love. It is God who took the initiative in loving humanity with an unconditional, unmerited, and transformative love. He sent His Son into the world to be an atoning sacrifice for humanity’s sins so that mankind could be reconciled with God, making salvation possible (Rom. 5:8). John repeats that believers must love one another as God loves us.
Despite the invisible nature of God (Jn. 1:18), His presence becomes evident and tangible among believers through their love for one another. This manifestation of God's presence through love leads to the fulfillment and completion of His love within the Christian community. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is how we know that we remain in God and He in us. John states that he and the other Apostles are reliable witnesses that Jesus was sent by God the Father to serve as Savior of the world because they had personal encounters with Jesus during His earthly ministry. Believers must acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and that will result in a mutual indwelling between believers and God. Believers have come to know and understand the love God has for them. Remaining in love is the same as remaining in God. The essence of God is love, and when believers abide in love of God and love of others, they experience a profound reciprocal relationship with God.
Almighty God, help us to embrace the sacrificial love shown through Jesus Christ. Fill our hearts with your divine love so that we may love one another as you have loved us. Help us to abide in your love, with the certain faith that in doing so, we will remain in you and you in us. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
__________________________________
References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
Comments