As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; abide in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept the commandments of my Father, and abide in his love.

He urges them not to be afraid, and for this reason he says: I have loved you, and I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. He said this in a human-like way. Therefore, "abide in my love": for this depends on you. And when you hear that I have loved you, you will not be careless, but strive to abide in my love. Then he explains how they can abide in this love, namely, if they keep His commandments. For, as has been said many times, he loves him who keeps his commandments. By all this He shows that they will be safe when they lead a pure life. "As I also have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love"; and this speaks out of condescension to the weakness of the listeners. For it is very absurd to think that He who gives laws for all was subject to commandments, and without the commandments of the Father could not govern His life. He says this in order to console them more. He said to them, "I love you." Meanwhile, they must later struggle with sorrows. In order that in this case they should not be offended, as if His love did not serve them for anything, He says: Do not be dismayed. For behold, the Father loves me, and yet gives me over to suffer for the sake of the world. And just as the Father's love does not diminish because I suffer, so My love for you will not diminish, even though you will be subjected to tribulations.

These things have I said unto you, that my joy may abide in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I say I told you this in order not to interrupt your joy. For they rejoiced when they were with Him, when He worked miracles and was glorified. They also rejoiced because they themselves cast out demons, as He Himself said: "Rejoice not" that you cast out demons (Luke 10:20). But as now the sufferings came, and sorrowful words interrupted their joy, He says: I have spoken these comforting words to you, so that your joy may always and to the end remain uninterrupted, be full and perfect. And the present events are worthy not of sorrow, but of joy, although there is a cross, shame and dishonor ahead.

Above He said, "Ye shall abide in Me then, when ye shall keep My commandments." Now He shows them what commandments they must keep and makes love appear to them: "That you love one another as I have loved you." He wants us to love one another, not just as it happened, but as He loved us. Notice that above He said in the plural, "commandments," and here He says in the singular, "This is My commandment." In my opinion, love is called commandments and commandments because it embraces all the commandments and is their head. At the same time, he shows us the way to keep the commandments, namely: through the observance of one commandment – the commandment of love. As He says, "Love one another even as I have loved you," He thereby indicates the measure and perfection of love. For there is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Therefore lay down your lives for one another, just as I also die for you. Therefore do not think that I am now departing from you because I am dislike of you, but on the contrary, it is done out of love, and a most perfect love at that,

You are My friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have told you all that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you, and ordained you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give to you.

He constantly interjects a speech about love, and by these many speeches he shows us that the commandment of love is more important than others and requires great diligence. He is also the greatest proof of His love. I, he says, love you so much that I have revealed to you unspeakable secrets. For I have made known to you all that I have heard from my Father. How then in another place (John 16:12) says: "I have much to say to you, but you cannot bear it"? He told them all that they could listen to and that they could now understand. But when He says, "All that I have heard from My Father," do not think that He needs to be taught, but shows that He declares nothing extraneous, but that which belongs to the Father, and that all His words are the words of the Father. Having said that the proof of My love for you is the communication of mysteries to you, He adds another sign of love. "I," he says, "have chosen you," that is, you have not clung to My friendship, but I to you, and I was the first to love you. How then shall I leave you for the time to come?

"And I set you," that is, I planted you, "that you should go," that is, that you might grow, multiply, expand, spread, and bear fruit. Here He clearly presents Himself as a worker. He had already declared Himself to be a purifier when He said, "Ye are cleansed by the word which I have preached unto you" (v. 3), and now it is still clearer when He said, "I have chosen you and ordained you." For it is known that the worker chooses and places the branches in the ground. Do you see the equality of the Father and the Son? Above the Father is called the worker, and here the Son is the worker. Be ashamed, Arius, with those who have been enslaved to wickedness with you.

Here is another sign of love. "That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father, He may give unto you," that is, I will give unto you. Though it should have been said, "Whatsoever ye ask of the Father, he shall give unto you; and he said, I will give unto you, and he said so, no doubt, because of equality of power. For the Father, when He gives, He gives with His right hand, and His right hand is the Son. Take note, I beseech thee, that when we are planted and bear fruit, then He will give us whatever we ask; but if we do not bear fruit, we shall not receive. For he who does not bear fruit does not ask for what is useful and salvific for the soul, but without fail asks for worldly and useless things, and therefore he does not receive. For "ask," it is said, "but ye do not receive, because ye ask not for good" (James 4:3).

This I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Lest the Apostles think that the Lord is reproaching them, that He lays down His life for them, and that He has chosen them, therefore He says: I command you to do this, neither as a reproach to you, nor as a praise to Myself, as if for any worthiness, but that your souls may be strengthened more in love with one another; for this I number the perfections of My love for you. "This I command you, that you love one another." Since to endure persecution and hatred is a difficult and very sorrowful matter, he says to console them: "If they hate you, it is not at all new, for they hated Me before you." Wherefore ye ought to find great consolation also in the fact that ye become partakers of mine in the endurance of hatred. In addition to this, he adds another method of consolation, which is more obligatory. You, he says, on the contrary, would need to grieve if the world, that is, evil people, loved you. For if they loved you, it would be a sign that you yourselves have fellowship with them in the same wickedness and wickedness. And now, when the wicked hate you, rejoice. For they hate you for virtue; otherwise, if you were not virtuous, the world would love its own. But because I have separated you from the wickedness of the world, the world also hates you, because you do not share in its works.

Remember the word which I have spoken to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if you have kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things will be done to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

What I said above, namely, that they hated Me before they hated you, he now expounds more extensively, giving them greater consolation. Remember, he says. My word is that a servant is not greater than his master. And ye are not greater than I, but see how they have dealt with Me. If they persecuted Me, the Lord, how much more will they persecute you, the slaves. If they did not persecute me, but kept my word, they will keep yours also. But this is not the case. Neither my word nor yours will be kept. But all these things will be done to you for Me. Therefore, if you love me, bear what you experience for me, whom you say you love.

This is another reason for consolation. They, when they offend you, insult Him who sent Me. Therefore, if nothing else, then this very thing, that the same enemies are to you and to Me and to My Father, should serve for your comfort.