Homilies on the Gospel of John

“He that has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me.”

It is not enough merely to have them, we need also an exact keeping of them. But why does He frequently say the same thing to them? As, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”; and, “He that has My commandments and keeps them”; and, “If any one hears My word and keeps it, he it is that loves Me— he that hears not My words, loves Me not.” I think that He alluded to their despondency; for since He had uttered many wise sayings to them concerning death, saying, “He that hates his life in this world shall save it unto life eternal”; and, “Unless a man take his cross and follow Me, he is not worthy of Me”; and is about to say other things besides, rebuking them, He says, “Think ye that you suffer sorrow from love? The not sorrowing would be a sign of love.” And because He wished all along to establish this, as He went on He summed up His discourse in this same point; “If you loved Me,” He says, “ye would have rejoiced, because— I go to My Father”, but now you are in this state through cowardice. To be thus disposed towards death is not for those who remember My commandments; for you ought to be crucified, if you truly loved Me, for My word exhorts you not to be afraid of those that kill the body. Those that are such both the Father loves and I. And I will manifest Myself unto him. Then says Judas,