Abiding with Jesus

We read in today’s first liturgical reading that “…whoever claims to abide in him [in Jesus] ought to walk just as he walked” (1 Jn 2: 3-11).  And how did Jesus walk? In obedience to His Father! Am I walking in obedience to God, or am I obeying someone or something else?  Jesus’ obedience to the Father reveals who the Father is.  Jesus healed the sick, the lame, the deaf and the dumb, the blind and the crippled; raised the dead to life, cast out demons, proclaimed God’s Kingdom in our midst, forgave sinners, righted wrongs, challenged the self-righteous and those who were unjust and deceitful. He looked after the orphaned, the widowed and the children and was especially solicitous for the lost sheep of Israel.  Jesus was obedient to the point of giving up His life for our sake.  Jesus and the Father are one—Jesus and the Father brought the dead back to life, restored hearing and sight, righted wrongs and challenged the unjust and deceitful, cast out demons and forgave sinners. Together they redeemed humankind by Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from death.  Both the Father and the Son secured our salvation and brought about our reconciliation with our Creator God. Obedience was the way to that reconciliation, to our restoration with God.  Where does my obedience lead?