May 10, 2026, at St William Parish in Naples, FL
Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17 + Psalm 66 + 1 Peter 3: 15-18 + John 14:15-21
The quid pro quo world in which we live and in which we hear these words of Jesus Christ presents a problem, and we need to ask ourselves, “Does enjoying God’s loving and abiding presence really depend upon my keeping Jesus’ commandments? If it does, I have a problem, and I suspect I’m not the only one. Jesus being lifted from earth and drawing all people to himself does not depend on anything we do or fail to do. This is not a reward for being good. It is a gift not a prize. We must get out of that mentality. God’s plan does not depend on us. When Jesus speaks these words, he is attempting to inspire trust among us. These words are intended to assure us not threaten us. He is not laying down conditions for receiving the Spirit. It is a gift to us, not a reward or some personal possession.
Think of this. That word, “condition” has a lot of definitions. It could mean “something necessary” as in “It is necessary that you keep the command of Jesus for him to ask the Father to send the Advocate.” However, there is another way to define “condition” as a “way of being.” In other words, it is like describing what condition we are in, and that is where John is going with this. Those whose way of being is to love Jesus and keep his commandments, have the gift of the Spirit for without it it would be impossible to stay in love and keep the commandments Jesus has given us.
I think it helps to remember that in John’s Gospel “love” is always a verb, not a noun. It is not a thing, it is a way of being, a condition we’re in or a way of acting that comes from a deep intimacy with the God Jesus has revealed to us. This is the consequence of the Incarnation, the Word Made Flesh. Jesus is comforting and assuring those disciples with a description of what they will be like after he departs. It is a description of the Church, a Spirit filled faithful people who love, serve, reconcile, comfort and inspire.
Choosing every day to obey that commandment of love making it our very way of being in this world requires a little teamwork, and that’s why we are a church. What Jesus asks we cannot do unless the Spirit abides with us and sets up shop among us. A Spirit-filled church with the abiding presence of Jesus is all we need. Many in this world cannot see Jesus any longer, but we can because he lives in us now by the presence and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.