John 14:15-21
15 ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
The Spirit of Truth will be in You
This Sunday, the Gospel prepares us for the great event of Pentecost, which western churches will celebrate on May 24th this year. What is this promise that Jesus makes to His disciples? “The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive….will be in you” (V. 17).
At Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, He said, “I came to bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said, “What is truth?” John 18:37-38.
For Pilate, truth is a subjective matter. Everyone has his own interpretation of this concept. For a roman prefect, truth means Caesar is the "son of god," and whatever he orders should be obeyed.
The Roman prefect confused authority with tyranny, showing no respect for human dignity nor rights in all the areas that Romans occupied and imposed rules for their own benefit.
Jesus taught that truth is God’s will to share His love with everyone. He provides humanity with life that’s full of joy and happiness through His Son and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly "John 10:10b.
The only way to enjoy this kind of abundant life is to follow Jesus, to love Him and to abide by His commandments. Loving Jesus means accepting Him as my way, my truth and my life. Love without acts is just an empty, false and even a dead claim, "A man may say, you have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith BY my works" James 2:18. Loving Jesus means obeying Him and living His commandments to enjoy the fullness of life.
We can follow Him, love Him, live with Him, and for Him when the Spirit guides us and leads our path, both emerging from the truth and leading to it.
Our gratitude for God's love should be the fruit of our commitment to the Lord's commandments through obedience to our conscience, which is Jesus' voice within our soul and spirit. Jesus offers us this possibility for free and would like us to have this Spirit within us. Jesus, as always, offers us Himself, who is "The way, the truth and the life” John 14:6. He awaits our decision and our choice.
Let us pray for all the people of God to receive the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised. Renew your faith and combine it with your acts as the Spirit leads.
