Try telling a young child to do something (or not do something) and you might be met with a response of “why?” As kids learn and grow, over time, they want to know “why” they are encouraged to do some things and not others.
In the same way, when we hear Jesus command us to do certain things (and not others), we might intially respond with a similar response of “why”? Why love? Why bear fruit? Why abide in Christ? Many of us likely “know” that it’s a “good thing” to follow these commands. But really…why do we do these things?
Well, in our Gospel lesson this past Sunday, the answer was quite clear: we keep Christ’s commandments given to us because as we do so, we abide in God’s love. And even further, as we do so, our joy is made complete.
Think about that and let it sink in: as we follow God’s command to love others, it’s actually our own joy that expands, and it is our own relationship with Christ that is transformed.
So could we choose not to follow God’s command to love others and to bear fruit? Sure, but as we do so, we’ll be the ones missin’ out.