May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. ³³ "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. ³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:31-35)

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear friends: A very happy and blessed Mother's Day to all mothers and families! Even if God has not given you the blessing of being a mother or if your mother has gone ahead of you into heaven, still this day we raise up thankful hearts to God for all the blessings he funnels to his creation through "motherhood." When God said: "Be fruitful and increase in number"...when God had Adam call his wife "Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living" he set in motion a way of giving life that remains until he ends this world. What a powerful and long-lasting blessing! Moreover, when we think of how the Lord blessed motherhood with having a part in the eternal salvation of souls, our thankfulness rises up to the heavens. For remember that the first name that the Lord used for his Son who died for the world was "the seed of woman." God himself came into his creation by conceived inside a mother and being born of her. Recall also that the Lord speaks of the saving faith that he plants in us as "being reborn." Certainly, the Lord himself has honored highly his institution of motherhood using it in his work to save us and teaching us spiritual truths by it. And we praise the Lord for his blessing today.

The Gospel before us is about Christian love, which is certainly a part of motherhood, but not limited to it. So let us look at this Gospel briefly, where Jesus teaches us, instills, and renews in us true Christian love. We will be better moms, appreciate moms better when we do; and, in general, Jesus will be shaping us to love better as we listen. Our focus is Jesus' own words: As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

"A new command I give you." Certainly not new in the sense of different was the command. God's command had always been to love God and fellow man. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God they broke this fundamental command for they were void of the love for God that would honor him with obedience. Moreover, when Eve and Adam agreed to disobey God they showed no love for each other, because they each let the other do something that was hurtful to the one they were to love and protect. Not new in the sense of different is this command. Its newness lies in the next words-as I have loved you. Shall we say, new in the motive and reason to love? Gone was the slavish, powerless Law of Moses. New was the willing, spirit-filled prompting in the redeemed and forgiven.

"Love as I have loved." Notice that Christ's love was in union with, in connection with, one with the Father. Jesus said: Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. Jesus is talking about how in just a few hours he would be showing the ultimate love to God the Father and at the same time to his fellow man. He would love Father and neighbor by giving his life up as a sacrifice to erase sin and so reconcile holy God and sinful man. Notice closely that he does this "in him", in union with, in connection with, the Father. We could add the Holy Spirit in the circle as well. For Scripture says: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10:38). Christ's love was in connection, in union with, the Father and the Spirit.

"So you also must (ought, would) love one another." Unless we too are in union with the Lord, we will not, cannot, love. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's will, nor can it do so (Romans 8:7). The law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, the same Apostle says in chapter 7 of Romans. God is love and unless that God of love is in our hearts there will be no true love in our lives. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them (1 John 3:24).

Jesus' reminder today that true Christian love is only "in him" calls us to repent that often we divorce love and "remaining in him." How so, you are wondering? If/When we separate ourselves from him by neglecting his Word and Holy Communion we live in the deception of Satan that says: you really don't need him. Sadly many foolishly say, "I haven't been to church for months and my faith has never been stronger." That's impossible! If/When we begin our many tasks of life each day without pausing in our hearts and praising our Triune God for another day to serve him...without asking he who claimed us at our Baptism to bless our service to him this day, we march out like fools who have forgotten that "apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15). Let this day be relived daily. Let us begin each day with thoughts of Christ's forgiveness that puts us in him and prayer for his presence. This alone will make us love as he has loved us.

And then we can fully expect the blessed result to be the same as when Jesus loved us. God will be glorified in our lives. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. Or, as Jesus said more clearly in John 15: This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. In addition, others will benefit. Putting it negatively the Apostle writes: Love does no wrong to its neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13). Moreover, let us remember that we love "as Jesus loved us" especially when our love pushes, prods, encourages, invites, and nudges others to salvation in Christ. Let us not think we have loved if we provide only shelter, food, education, toys, and the like. The love of those in the world is limited to such things. Because we are in Christ we can, (and may we always!) love by leading others to Christ. Then, by God's grace, we will be loving as Christ has loved us.   Amen.